The Russians couldn't whip the towel heads what made us think we could.....not sure Adolf Hitler could beat them.
How do you kill a nest of fire ants ?
Well - honestly, we did more there, faster than the Russians did.
What's happening in A-stan is because of the vacuum we've created by leaving. IF we were still there the same as we were 18 months ago - this wouldn't be happening. It's not like we're being pushed off the field of battle at the point of a bayonet.
That said - the only way to "win" is to be there forever - which isn't a win either.
What would "success" in A-stan look like for us? There forever? We went in there because they were, at the time, harboring terrorists. We killed a lot of them, if that's the goal - pretty decent success. If the goal is nation building (which it never should be) then no. That's akin to buying a new car every time you need tires. I'd much rather buy tires from time to time (kick ass here and there, not rebuild the whole thing)
IOW - I'm fine with going in, decimating a problem and leaving. I'm not ok with going in, doing 65% of the job and just hanging out a couple decades.
