Nothing wrong with going in after Al Queda and punishing the Taliban, but not forever. Syria and Afghan are places you’d like to control and it’s hard to let go but once you do natural forces will make it the Russians or somebody else’s next quagmire.
The Russians already had their shot at Afghanistan, I do not think they will bother again. They also had a shot at Egypt during the Soviet days and got out. The cultures are just not compatible.