Seriously, why is US (and other countries') blood and treasure still being spent wasted in this 'stan? THIS is a country that I have no problem with the ChiComs trying to control! Bring the boys (and girls) home! Any Afganistanis who helped the 'Coalition', bring 'em home, too! The only proviso is that if ANY member of their family attacks ANYONE in their country of patriation, the WHOLE FAMILY is returned to the 'stan! Make the WHOLE COUNTRY a 'no fly' zone!
In the last several centuries, the Sikh Empire, the British Empire and the Soviets all tried to invade and subdue Afganistan. All eventually failed. The US and NATO has been in 'stan for 18 years. The Afgan people seem to enjoy death more than compromise. Pull the troops, seal the borders and enforce a 'no fly' zone! Turn it into something like NorK!
A lot of reasons or more correctly a lot of interests are effected:
1. Much of the Army hierarchy are determined the US should not leave without something that looks like victory.
2.. The trans-nationalists see it as a permanent source of pork for K Street.
3. The CIA finds the endless war good for career progress and for lots of untraceable cash from the drug trade.
So you see it is the people that matter that want our presence to be permanent. Those who are killed or maimed are mostly just white, cis-gender, hetero-normative males whose toxic masculinity makes their deaths and wounding a positive outcome.