I was briefed by a United States Army Colonel who had been an advisor to bin Laden during the war with Russia.
He told me in 1998 that if we had to go to war against the Taliban it would be Vietnam times 10. We do not have weapons designed to work in very steep mountains with very narrow valleys. He said the Russians tried Migs, choppers, carpet bombing, and fire bombs. he said they tried everything they had to try and it all failed. The briefer said in 1998 it would take nukes. He was well aware of every weapon we had in 98. I doubt if we have added much since then although it is a possibility. I certainly hope we have.
That is what perked up my ears when Clinton's secretary of Defense Cohen said we might have to use nukes. I figure he had a much later briefing I did. Unless Cohen was doing disinformation, we may not have the stuff to do it now.
I figure he was doing a trial baloon for nukes.
Equip our smartbombs with cyber ears to listen for human breathing.
As to going in on the ground, just the altitude adjustment might take several months acclimitization for any troopies, even already young and in good combat shape. It's HIGH altitude there. It's no joke terrain, and remote as heck.
My solution is a war with bean counters. Yep, total economic devastation, track down the economics of his structure base and seize it, over and over, through all the holding companies. Not sexy or bloodthirsty, but it would work.
Taking a western, technological peoples and reducing them to goat herder status is devastating. when you are trying that with people who are already goat herders, it's really not much of a big deal. The amount of men and materiel to "conquer" afghanistan doesn't exist in the US at this point. If we tried it it could run over 100 billion bucks a year or more, real easy I imagine, just to attempt it. That's why I like use bean counters to fight the war, accountants and detectives. We are getting hit with unconventional warfare, we need to be as unconventional as it takes right back, and one thing the US people are good at is paper work and money dealings. We can bankrupt those people effectively and cheaply. It could work, and it would require some SERIOUS leanings on our so called ally, the saudi dictators, something we have needed to do anyway for a long time. Notice that list again who recognizes the taliban.
Next step domestically is total regaining of control over immigration and tourism and business here, end the open no borders concept, it's a disaster. Just been proven.
After that, manhattan project on energy independence for the US, total energy independence, complete, 100%. We are innovators, we need to innovate, do whatever it takes. We need to stop the money flow to the fanatics. these various regimes use a significant part of that oil money for weapons purchases and more research into WMD. This is nuts we still trade with them. This is hitting yourself with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop.