We had SF riding horses with tribal leaders and with US airsupport routed the Taliban/AQ. Then the wonks at the state department started calling the military shots and quagmire ensued. Keep the state department out of it, close with and destroy the enemy.
The issue is who we put in charge. We probably need to set up strongmen with personality cults and stop working with these sleazy Karzai type corrupt machine politicians. As unpalatable was that may be, it might be the only way to pull out without beardies taking over. We need to be looking for a way out and evaluating strategies based on “what gets us out of here for real and for good?”
That may mean sacrificing other objectives that some hold dear. It may mean letting other countries increase their influence there or having US leverage over third parties weakened.
The alternative is to let this fester and do another 2006 on us when people get sick and finally react:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_elections,_2006