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Afghanistan isn't a nation. We can't make one of it without someone applying a great deal of direct force. We can't and shouldn't do that. Hopefully a powerful government can emerge that will get the support of most of the warlords and hopefully undermine them in the long run. It's going to be a very long and bloody road like it has always been there.

Our job is to make sure that no section in Afghanistan support ALQ and give them a safe haven. We are still a long way from doing that. At least they don't have as much of a safe haven as they did before.

I'm disappointed that we missed our best opportunity to kill the enemy but we have accomplished a lot in Afghanistan so far but without killing the enemy those gains are more likely to be only temporary.

Policians look about as far as the next election.

Hopefully a powerful government can emerge that will get the support of most of the warlords and hopefully undermine them in the long run.

Warlords are now officially illegal in Afghanistan. The Karzai government has passed a law stating that no military leader can also hold a political position. Is it going to take awhile to actually affect this? Sure it will. This is why we are helping the government build a military. But it can no longer be left to the "long run" or to gradual "undermining." Warlords who refuse to give up either their private armies or their governorships must be crushed.