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There are some very good generals, including Tommy Franks, the theater commander. It's not the generals that worry me, but the politicians and the State Department professional diplomats. I tend to agree with you partly. We need a forward base in country. Mazar-e Sharif is the logical first choice, due to modern Russian built highway connecting it to Uzbekistan. There is also a huge Russian built airbase at Baghram that would make a fine forward ops base. I don't think it's coincedence that those two places are where we are concentrating our attacks now. But we will need more than a portion of the 10th Mountain Div to hold them. If we see the 101st and/or 82nd Airborne go over there you will know we are setting up for some major long-term ground ops.

That makes some good sense militarily. We need some bases of ops from which to do the neessary. We need the safe enlaves. That means serious commitment of ground forces. Looks like the Brits are ready. But what about those massing volunteers from the North West frontier armed with rifles, swords and deadly commitment? They hate us, they have always hated the Brits, and they are serious! I am conerned about the strategy here. Right now we seem to have achieved a bigger enemy base. We are losing the propaganda war. It's probably one we can never win. But I also worry when I hear the Pentagon tell us that the Taliban may be poisoning the food supplies going into Afghanistan. I don't put anything beyond them but it does not appear to be true. I understand the need or secrecy but my toleration for this kind of self-destrutive lie...IF it is a lie...is zero. This is a war we have got to win. It is one we can win. But there may be better ways to do it than the current strategy. But with no debate allowed I get even more dismayed about our resolve to unite in this vital struggle.One thing Winston Churchill understood was that in a total war you have to have the people with you. He did not just expect them to follow him blindly. He put aside partisanship and build a coalition government of the best people from wherever he could find them. He put aside his pet poliies because he knew the people bearing the brunt of the war needed support. Rationing and public services were among his priorities. We don't need rationing at this time but if we are in for the long haul then the burden will have to be seen to all fairly. No more corporate bail-outs while they are laying of thousands. No more worry about Bayer over the needs for people to get the drugs they need. we need the governemnet to take charge - not strip the constitution.