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I'm not sure this is really a veiled threat. Any Afghan would know how volatile the response of the average armed Afghan could be when presented with a white-looking foreign soldier. And the N. Alliance government knows that they don't have anything like full control over that country, even the areas that are marked in their color on the map. Any pissed off warlord could start lynching some of these foreigners and they'd have a hard time stopping it.

On the propaganda front, we have to concentrate on doing everything possible to make it clear to these people that we don't want to occupy their country and that is going to be a VERY hard thing to convince them of - especially since we are now vigorously courting the Russians and the Afghans have memories of fighting off men from the British Empire. People ought not forget that we are dealing with Asians; we don't value face like they do, so it's a good deal for us to let them save as much of it as possible.

I think I'm becoming a isolationist. All these countries are ticking me off! They don't care what happens to their countries, they only care about power.

Now Kuwait is against us and for Bin Laden. What asswipes!

We should have let Iraq take them over.

People ought not forget that we are dealing with Asians; we don't value face like they do, so it's a good deal for us to let them save as much of it as possible.

Still, we have to have a stable setting for the search for Bin Laden & Company and for the return of the refugees. And these NA warlords need adult supervision.

I know where you're coming from on the saving of face, but we have a right to save face too. The fact is, we're not going to tolerate another fanatical government to set up shop over there. If we did it would only be a matter of time before they'd be taking Laden's place. And then in 2010, we'd have people saying that we should never have abandoned Ashcanistan in 2001. Hey, they'd be right. Those guys trying to grab power need the law laid down to them. If they don't get it the easy way, a few object lessons should be forthcoming. IMO