Filkins offers a few thoughts:
‘In strategic terms, the U.S. has swung between counter-insurgency and counterterrorism. Or, put another way, between enlightened self-interest and a more naked kind.’
And the problems still aren’t really solved. We likely can’t build a nation with our military and without the will of the people toward their own aims, yet the threat of terrorist figures meeting, planning, taking advantage of/having some collaboration with the locals and perhaps attacking us is still very high.
Addition: The Afghan military isn’t looking so good. U.S. public opinion against the war is high and anti-American AfPak sentiment high at the moment.
Another Addition: The WSJ has a piece on Andrew Bacevich, which is not favorable. It seems Bacevich has lost sight of what can and can’t get done in war, and perhaps in human nature.
Related On This Site: From CSIS: ‘Turmoil In The Middle-East’…Lawrence Wright At The New Yorker: ‘The Man Behind Bin Laden’…perhaps Bacevich is turning inward upon religious belief, and doesn’t have a larger analysis to put the war within, despite his insight: From Commonweal: Andrew Bacevich “The War We Can’t Win: Afghanistan And The Limits Of American Power”
