The Taliban is history, and people, especially women, are living free and unfettered in the new Afghanistan. The Word according to George W. Bush. Remember?

Now that the veracity of George W. Bush has been established, "victory" in Afghanistan is or was possible had the US learned any lesson from Vietnam. In a guerilla war, unless you can occupy territory constantly you will lose unless you can win hearts and minds. It's the "hold" of Rice's "clear, hold and occupy". There is absolutely no chance to either hold or occupy Afghanistan. Therefore the only winning strategy would be hearts and minds. I hope that makes sense so far.

The US's policy of virtually unlimited collateral damage, attacking Afghanis anywhere simply because there may be a badguy there has created such hatred that victory is impossible. An insurgency, the Taliban, cannot exist without the support or at least the benign neglect of the population.

The US can and has blown up a village with 90 people in it saying that it had heard there were some insurgents in the area, and at the same time claim that everything possible is being done to prevent "collateral" damage. That disconnect is apparent to every Afghan and the entire world.

Bush has done everything he can to turn the Afghan population against the US. And lost Afghanistan.

Arf