Afghanistan End Stage

The latest news from Wikileaks confirms many of our fears and raises new ones.

Not News: The Taliban has bases in Pakistan

Not News: Elements of the Pakistani government (if not all of it) collaborate with them.

Possible News: the Taliban may be acquiring more potent weaponry.

Hardly News: We are financing the war against ourselves.

The grim reality: There is no hint that anything that could be called victory lies ahead. We are probably fighting this war now because our political leaders lack the courage to end it with victory or retreat.

Victory, if possible, would be messy. We would have to smash the Taliban in Pakistan, and quite likely the Pakistani military as well. Wholesale slaughter in the Northwest territories (soldiers, sheep, goats, and civilians) would likely be required. India and US bases in Afghanistan might get nuked.

Retreat wouldn't be pretty either. al Quaeda would be emboldened.

The mess George Bush left in his wake just gets deeper. America's future as the World power is likely to be short.

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