"The Marines can't control how long they will be in Nawa, or how many more troops will be sent to Afghanistan. But they are certain that leaving isn't the answer.

"Our biggest worry is two things," Lt. Kuiper, the civil affairs officer, said during one of the patrols. "One: The American people won't be patient enough for this to flourish, for our successes to be built on. Or two, maybe the military might not be patient enough and say, 'OK, we've done successful operations here, let's move on.' "

You mean pull the Marines out of Nawa? I asked."Yeah," Kuiper said. "If that happened, that would be the worst thing."

This First Lieuy seems to have it all soleved, at least in his mind. And don't you like the way he speaks for everyone with his, "But they are certain that leaving isn't the answer."

Kuiper and the troops in Afghanistan are in a hell not of their making. They're military and they look for military solutions. McCrystal puts some war college wrinkles on this, but the fact is the United States and the straggle of NATO forces in Afghanistan can't change this country into a nation state that will serve our purposes, strategic or ideological even with 100s of thousands of troops and 5-10 billion dollars a month (we throw away about $3 bil a month now). 75 - 90% of the Afghanis are illiterate--make a solid army and police force out of those recruits in 1 to 5 years!

Obama is headed for the wrong decision if he listens to the military.