the moment was missed ala Karzai election. Absent a real equitable and sane partner, the hand writing was on the wall.
History speaks to us, we allowed Diem to be assassinated and then watched 4 gov.s rise and fall over the next 3 years and still pumped more men and more equipment into Vietnam, trying to make it work, and as it went along more gov.'s rose and more fell. The effectiveness of the native gov. was a complete hash.
For those that don't realize it or have not done any in depth reading, there was 2 camps in DC in 63, one that spptted Diem as they saw him as their best bet and most effective leader in the offing and extent and those that thought he had to go, so as to get someone in their whom would institute what the other camp thought was the correct 'type' as in demcoracy like ours, government.
As it became apparent letting Diem die was a disaster, we doubled down, here; we let Karzai back us into a corner, the only way was to oust him and let one of the other front runners take charge, instead we let him realize a false electoral result, which is just a big a mistake as was Diem being assassinated, we totally misread the sceanrios avaliable.
I can only assume any afhganis that really gave a crap probably said, well same old same old, and ifs its same old same old in Kabul, its gonna be same old same old everywhere else in Afghanistan, and so it is and so it shall be.
The taliban etc. has not been moved from eastern or North eastern provinces, out of what, 200 provinces we have control of 37. Afghan army units engaged in an op a few months ago got totally trashed, and now we are starting a slow death of a thousand cuts wind down.....even if we built an 'army', would they fight for Karzai? Doubt it...so, in effect there is no advances to be made, there fore we are wasting lives....Just get them out this summer and move on.
Oh and where are the calls or where were they as in; What is victory in Afghanistan?
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