How can McChrystal hope to build ties with Kandahar's populace if they have had close spiritual, political and economic ties with the Taliban for years? Surely, counterinsurgency's befriend the people "tactics" are a lot of too-little-too-late: they will not effect a change of allegiance! Talk is cheap but money buys land and don't actions speak louder than words. Rather than risk lives NATO should be spending money to buy off the inhabitants, give them cars, houses and cell prepaid cell phones. Certainly, this tactic would be a whole lot cheaper than another offensive. McChrystal and Obama are both sitting on their brains!

If the offensive in Kandahar goes well, we can declare victory over the Taliban, right? It's more likey we will be still trying to root them out this time next year.

It still looks like the pace of change in this poor country is hindered by the failure to get the economic development programs under way and a legitimate governmental establishment in place fast enough. We are again faced with the "chicken or the egg" question: is it possible to build a stable economic and political situation without a proper security environment, or is security impossible without substantial political and economic progress?

Karzai's negotiations with certain elements of the Taliban are more likely to produce a result than our continued presence. But, if he is not successful, his government will be living on the edge, and it will be less than probable that any military successes - no matter how impressive - will save Afghanistan. After all, al Qaeda and the Taliban leadership are still in Pakistan, where they still successfully evade capture.

I hope we can stand up enough of an army and police force in Afghanistan to handle the country's security when we are gone. I hope we are gone before this gets to be more of a mess.

COIN ops are always tricky things, always have been and always will be. The only time in recent history that it worked perfectly was in Germany after WWII. The issue there was the Soviets. That forced the Germans to stop thier post war insurgency on us, and focused more efforts on the Red Army.

I remember when Taliban were ruling Afghanistan. There was 95% Peace, Mulla Umar issued one order to stop the cultivation of all drugs and it was done once for all. It was a govt like in USA. When USA intervend destroyed every thing in name of war on terror. Which they should launch in USA because 9/11 was inside job and Osama was Tim Osman working for USA.

The problem there is the total absence of Law since the US came in. Surely, at the previous times, to deal with the Taliban should be a risk, since they could change their minds at any moment. Now, with no Taliban and US busy huntting terrorists, the place came a heaven for those trying to make smuggling, trafficking and so on. Poor Afghan. They deserve a better live.

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