[fortheDeclaration]

I agree with most of your post, except the notion that the Bush view was the correct one.

We went in there to punish the Taliban, not recreate a State.

We can keep the Taliban from regaining power with our mobility.

[crescen7]

Thanks, I’m a bit surprised that I didn’t get flamed for my post.

I agree we went in to punish the Taliban, who were providing safe haven for Al Queda, and ultimately to defeat Al Queda. But I think it was always a part of the plan to attempt to see that Afghanistan did not fall back into the power vacuum that allowed the Taliban to flourish after the retreat of the Russians.

I do concur though, that our commitment to “nation building” needed to be limited, and that a small mobile strike force based in a secured functioning population center should be capable of preventing the Taliban from regaining a serious foothold.