Actually screech's analysis is part of the answer and he comes half way to understanding the dilemma the Afghan people are in. But in coming half way to understanding, he refuses to to come all the way.
Our basic mistake is to look at it through American eyes, if everyone in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the general region thought in terms of American values, we would have won years ago. And we would have won in Vietnam for that matter.
The point is, they do not think in terms of American values, its not that they per say reject those values they have never seen practiced, its a matter that they have to live in the hell hole we helped create. And not a matter that they can simply go on vacation to the French Rivera, and then come back after the good guys win, its a matter that they are stuck in place and have had to live in the middle of a shooting gallery, caught between corrupt Afghan officials, corrupt Afghan war lords financed by the opium trade, a Nato army that has done nothing to fight corruption for seven years, and a Taliban that is fighting the American army and also making the whole country into shooting gallery.
Basically exactly the same conditions the Afghans had shortly after the Soviets left, except there were no Americans and no Taliban in the equation, and the warring parties in the civil war were various warlords fighting to emerge victors in a civil war while corruption and anarchy ruled the day. And the Western powers could not give two hoots because all they wanted is to see is the Russians bears nose tweaked, and after that they abandoned Afghanistan to its fate. Maybe we in the West don't feel that is somewhat insincere, but you can damn well bet the Afghan people do remember how they were used and thus do not trust us.
But it was the rise of the Taliban that finally helped end that Afghan civil war and started to end the corruption, anarchy, and civil war. With a basic Mussolini like fascist state offer to make the trains run on time, and general re-establish of order, an end to corruption and thievery, and all based on Sharia law. Please understand, I do not endorse those Taliban values, but I do understand why the Taliban prevailed, and that is because all other alternatives were worse. And indeed, life got better for the average Afghan, and for the first time since 1937, Afghanistan was on the way to having a stable government. Even though they were some what nutty, disenfranchised females, and on the plus side at least stopped opium production. If left alone, in 20 years or so, its excess sharia law may have moderated, as its population rebelled against such draconian restraints. Generally the way history treats such States.
Sadly, Al-Quida changed that all with 911, and probably without the knowledge or consent of Taliban leadership, tarred them with the same brush. And in the first giant mistake of the Nato occupation we allied our self with the Taliban's main opponent in the civil war, the super corrupt Northern Alliance. While the main objective succeeded brilliant, the added Northern alliance muscle chased the Taliban out of Afghanistan,
the Northern alliance soon dispersed, could not wait to set back up corruption and anarchy at their same old stands. And at near the speed of light, corruption and anarchy ruled the day, while a too small Nato did basically nothing to rebuild an orderly society. In short, for the Afghan people, life got much worse as they were the victims of corruption. We still had a two year probationary period in which the Afghaan people were willing to try our values, but when we did nothing, the Taliban started to come back with two promises. (a) Life was better under our rule. (b) The root of all Afghan problems are Western devils.
Regardless of what any of us think, the judge, jury, and executioner of that is the Afghan people, and not us.
And now here we are seven years later, Afghanistan is still a shooting gallery, Nato is still running around creating collateral damage, they can't protect any of the Afghan people who co operate with the Taliban,
there is no functioning court system except in Taliban controlled areas where a rough but effective justice stops thieves and corrupt public officials, the tribal areas of Pakistan who are still basically autonomous
from Pakistan, and were largely untouched before are now almost all united against Western forces because they have seen what that has done for Afghanistan and want no part of that coming into their regions.
And now are are beguiled into thinking we can add more Nato forces, and take out the Taliban and Al-Quida believing the myth they will make a stand in some sort of set piece battle, when they will simply disperse, to all parts of the compass or hide in plain sight among the larger population. In short, its a dream and not a reality any amount of force can bring about.
Meanwhile, the Afghan people are still stuck in a shooting gallery, and to achieve "Peace", either Nato or the Taliban must go. And the general shoot em all on sight behavior of Nato is likely to push the Afghans to finally say its Nato who must go.
The final decision will be made by them, not us. And as long as we continue to define the problems by our standards, rather than doing the things it takes to win, we will keep losing. Get a clue, palehorse and JOS type ideas are causing us to lose, have caused us to lose for six or seven years running, and that I do not like.
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