Our rules of engagement have made the Taliban bold. I mean they know that if they are spotted by American troops all they have to do is gointo a village hide their weapons and walk around in plain sight.
Unlike most people I think this war can be won: 1. get the politicians out of the militaries way. 2. Give total control to the commanders on the grouns not to some chairborne officer sitting thousands of miles away. 3. Go into the mountains after the enemy and if fired upon flatten anything and anybody in the way. 4. Keep using drones to strike fer into the Taliban.
Just like Iraq when the civilian casualties get bad enough and the they will turn on the Taliban and Al Queda.
If Karzai don´t like it then pull the troops out and let him deal with the Taliban. Obne thing the generals and the state dept need to remember The Afghans have been through these invasions before, they are double dealing liars and cannot be trusued.
“Unlike most people I think this war can be won”
There is nothing to “win” in a country full of 7th century savages. There are and always will be neanderthals. Your prescription means killing basically the entire population of most of Afghanistan. Not going to happen. You can’t separate out the Taliban guys when they are cut of the same fabric as the civilian goat herders. They are never going to “turn”.
Better idea: NEUTRON BOMB!