The Taliban functions ostensibly for religious reasons, but actually at the pleasure of external - Afghan powers.
O. B. Laden is the purposeful "black sheep" of the Saudi family; his role --- that is, "the movement" --- is to be situated so as to be part of the checking and balancing of the various oil and gas transmission alliances involved in the giant trans - Eurasian oil and gas infrastructure which has been in development for nearly 30 years, now.
The Red Chinese, the Russians, the Saudis, the Persians, the Iraqis, the Syrians, the Libyans, et al ... all desire that the oil and gas transmission "bidness" be within their respective "spheres of influence."
The resulting gamesmanship resembles that of the "old days" when various powers that be maneuvered to get the railroads to be located where each power desired.
The "various powers that be," engage in and then break alliances, which in one instant may seem encouraging, but in the next instant, "somebody is left out to dry" (among the many game moves).
The German general is all too aware of what special forces can do, as well as what they cannot do --- in the face of political forces which are unreliable, and in the face of the public's uncertainties about politicians' equivocating --- an example being, how immigration amnesty for over 6 mil illegal aliens was a good idea, "let 'em in," while establishing a Ministry of State Security to make war on the people already American citizens.
Given, that the emphasis has been on stripping airline passengers of their nail files --- examinination under the microscope, while the "higher-ups'" backs are turned and they ignore the points where security really did lapse ON ORDER OF THE WHITE HOUSE DURING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.
Which administration is still in effect though nominally headed by a few officials of the Bush "Administration."
What is the point, a German general may ask, in minutely examining the powder kit of Ms. Jones while grossly ignoring the millions flowing across the border?
The good general may smell too many rats and quite possibly, really bad available intelligence: the lighter the attacking force, the better must be the required information.
General forces can "slug it out" and use recon in force as well as movement to gain ground. But special forces are "surgical" and need the best M.R.I. they can get; especially when they are expected to attack many points.
What is the point in committing light troops where the heavy follow-up is ... not?!
What the Soviets, Red Chinese, Cubans, and Euro-Socialists fostered in the anti-west terrorist and political movements since World War II, has now got legs of its own and at least come back to bight some of Europe and some of Russia; and has finally "succeeded" in attacking the U.S. mainland punitively. But perhaps not yet enough for especially Russia and the U.S.A. to be blood allies.
The Clinton Administration poured a lot of aid into the sphere of influence that is Red China's, while "lending" money to an already broke Russia, thereby keeping Russia at a trough from which it has had a heck of a time trying to recover. All this, to enable the development of energy projects to provide the "juice" for the enormous pool of cheap (by force of communism) labor of Red China's. Which strategy has been OK with world wide, i.e. "globalist," investors.
Except, up to the point where the traditional oil powers, such as the Arabs, require some counter-balance to ensure that *their* oil and gas remain in demand.
And then others getting into the act.
Any of whom, would not want to totally remove the Taliban as a useful game plot device.
Globalists playing with peoples' lives.
The German general would probably like to see some righteous unity trumping [what he has no doubt learned to expect in the way of] "the deal" suddenly being "in" [and support for his troops being "out"].
It would overall be cheaper in blood and tears, as well as the price tag, for the U.S.A. to build a merchant fleet and naval fleet to protect it, and then go get the oil and gas --- DIRECTLY --- and forget the damned oil and gas infrastructure pipelines.
But that would require the invested "powers that be" to suck it in and take the loss.
Perhaps the German general is more astute; and he is trying to tell us something in a manner which he can relate, if we get his drift.
Still, I'd like to one day read a cogent analysis (from someone better informed than I) about the global drug trade's role in this.
Remembering that Afghanistan/Pakistan is the center of the world's production of opium and our own government's well-documented dalliances with the Indochinese opium trade, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the actual "distribution system" being carefully monitored and maintained.
But I still admire your thinking on this.
Furthermore, the U.S. intelligence "industry" has got to be a big winner come budget time.
Maybe I've just been hanging around FR too long...
Anyway, speaking of oil, at least one person is advocating that we go in and take back the oil fields that American companies brought in only to have them nationalized. [link]