One unifying factor in this diverse coalition — the USA, Russia, the Karzai Government, and Iran — is hostility toward the coalition of Pashtun radicals, Arab radicals and ex-USSR Moslem radicals (Chechens, Uzbeks, etc.) that has established itself along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The Arab Sunni radical movement has been weakened significantly since September 11, 2001. No Arab state supports this movement, which has fractured and faltered.

Shiite Iran, not Sunni Al Qaeda, now leads the radical movement in the Moslem world. Therefore terror against Shiites in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan no longer will be tolerated. Iran is willing to enable the USA to use its marvelous weapons to kill anti-Shiite terrorists for a while, as long as the USA eventually leaves the theater.

Russia too wants the USA to leave that theater but likewise will be willing to allow the USA to kill Chechen and Uzbek radical Moslem leaders in that theater for a while.

Everyone knows the Obama Administration does not want to stay in that theater. If Obama can crush Al Qaeda in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area and then withdraw US forces, then many governments will feel that an ideal resolution has been achieved.