[BobL]

"The local Afghans WERE NOT supporting the Taliban. All of them continued to have close friends and relatives in the areas where the war would be fought."

I know that, and maybe that's what separates us. When the US military comes in, we (Americans) know that things will only get better, and innocent life will be protected - probably much more so than if we stayed out.

We would have expected the local Afghans to celebrate the end of that horrendous government, it's when they APPEAR to be supporting the horrible government that we start wondering what they really want. And by the way, a lot of us wouldn't mind seeing the 60,000 US Afghans putting on a Thank-You parade.

[muawiyah]

Uhhh, people exhibit fear and trepidation when armed forces engage in battle in their old neighborhoods where they may still have friends and relatives.

Like NO ONE interprets that as support for the old regime!