Like ER said, the point of diminishing returns has long since passed. I say we find the most moderate and friendly ethnic group in the country, and begin building them up into an powerful independent power similar to the Kurds or Israel. We could use them in the future to strike against any future threats coming from the lawless Pashtun wastelands.

Sure, the roaches may come back if we leave, but they will not disappear if we stay. Americans will die, and Americans will pay, and we will continue being humiliated by the Pakis; and nothing will change. I’d really be in favor of sticking it out if the situation was improving, I really would, but it’s not, and it won’t. Our major accomplishment in staying in Afghanistan is to provide the insurgents a recruiting tool.

If you really think we need to stay to prop up that strutting little peacock puppet Bush installed, Karzai, you’re pissing to windward, my friend. He’s part of the problem not the solution. As for the Taliban, the Northern Alliance was making things pretty hot for them before we even showed up. Money talks in Afghanistan, and the narco warlords don’t want religious fanatics interfering with the opium trade. That problem will take care of itself. It will become an issue for Pakistan and Iran, can that be all bad?

We have a perfect excuse to get out. We killed Bin Ladin. We can now say “Mission Accomplished” with a straight face and set a date to leave some decent interval in the future so it looks like we’re giving those ragheads time to get their shit together, and so it looks like we left on our terms, not theirs. If they don’t choose to use it for training and prep, that’s not our problem. We bent over backwards to try and set them back up on their feet. In the meantime, we can carry out our drone war to cover our getaway with style.

We can’t just pack up and leave unexpectedly, of course, and Obama understands that. The bad guys would claim they kicked us out. No, we say way ahead of time when we’re leaving, and then leave on that day, and not a day earlier.

All than pious concern about announcing our departure ahead of time the Conservatives are always whining about is just more chickenhawk strategizing and armchair diplomacy. Remember, it looks a lot better if later on you change your mind and don’t leave, than if you have to leave unexpectedly because you’re getting your ass kicked.

Who knows, maybe it will be the tough love the Afghans need to start thinking about defending themselves.
But if they don’t, that’s not our problem any more. Ten years is plenty.

We do not belong there any more. It will accomplish nothing, militarily or politically, it is expensive and counterproductive and promotes terrorism, not prevents it. We no longer need to save Bush face any more.

And for those of you who think I sound too cynical or self-serving, remember, we are in their country killing their people. We once had a moral right to invade Afghanistan, but we gave up the moral right to occupy it a long time ago.

Google “American general says toops will stay in afghanistan until 2014″ and you will find many, many sources.

I’m not sure there was a real deadline for Afghanistan, and probably shouldn’t be one. At least not a formally announced one. Publicly declaring a “deadline” on a war would likely have been considered nuts by any military leader over the past two thousand years.

Plus, the New York Times isn’t exactly accurate, in my opinion. Can you link us to a few other news sources on the subject?