Please take the time to read this carefully. There is much to digest here. <link>

Unfortunately, There have been further developments since the article was written. No shock there, Afghanistan is a very fluid situation. October was the worst month of the war in terms of American fatalities after over eight years of warfare. Karzai's rival, Abdullah, opted out of the Nov.7 election. We are now left with the corrupt Karzai. There is a faint hope. Karzai changes his ways. Fat, freaking chance. That's like asking a Mafia Don to change his ways.

It is time to go.

was Joe Stalin corrupt? Nevermind the murder of millions and the gulags, was he corrupt? Was he stealing rubles from the peasants he starved?

Take your friggin cut and run at all costs mentality and shove it.

hey cowardly maggot, why are you not in afghanistan defending your country, and hide behind a computer screen talking tough eh coward? let me guess, you got a boil on your ass?

I am 66 years old. I served during the Vietnam War as the intelligence officer for 11th Marines. At the age of 26 I volunteered for duty in the Marine Corps to defend our country and attended OCS Quantico. Perhaps, CMD, you might disclose your military career.

Your post is disgusting and, of course, ignores all issues raised in my article.

when you post this level of stupidity, I call you a lying piece of shit coward hiding behind a computer screen.

I agree. I read the McCrystal piece in the Times and I was impressed by it as well.

If we're going to stay, McCrystal is the man for the job.

Even so, the goal in Afghanistan remains unclear, and even the goal of "stabalizing" the country is elusive at best.

After seven years in which we largely abandoned Afghanistan to our NATO allies, we owe them at least some consideration in the decision.

This is a matter of geopolitics.

Still, on balance, I suspect that there is little to be gained. The lessons of Viet Nam do loom large.

Never mind the idiotic prattle of fools like Boca. He was wrong about Iraq, too.