Reply #7: I am not hawkish on Afghanistan, however...the fact that there is no strong government in that

[NoSheep]

country is exactly the problem there. Things are very fractured as far as the people's allegiance to any body that attempts to gain control. Even in Pakistan, the recognized legitimate authorities basically threw Swat Valley under a the Taliban bus although they have since tried to reverse this. I guess I just don't understand your point when you say "Taliquada...are not the governments of those countries." Fact is in large part, especially in Afghanistan, they are. They are systematically gaining control over certain areas by offering protection, jobs and services to the people. This is why we keep giving gazillions to Pakistan. This is why the CIA has Karzai's brother on the payroll. I am no expert but this is the way I understand it based on listening to the news, including interviews with people who have lived and worked there since the war started. Recently there was a reporter on Fresh Air, I believe, who explained the lack of a strong centralized government as being THE biggest problem in the region. That is why Taliquada continues to haunt it.

While I don't think they are responsible for certain terrorist attacks in our country (sorry, I'm MIHOP)...I think it is possible they might want to be. The hypocritical foreign policies that got us into this mess are done deals now. How are we to deal with the hatred this has caused against us?

You are right in that Taliquada might TRY to move elsewhere were we to manage to defeat them in the Afgani-Pakistani area but their existence depends upon exactly the type place they are in. I'm not sure they COULD exist anywhere else.

Please understand, I do not feel I have the answer, I just think the facts are the opposite of what your OP seems to suggest.