DE BORCHGRAVE: Afghanistan quandary

It's a matter of global determination of whether the Taliban and their resurgence are a global threat and what action to be taken, isolate or destroy. Isolation and destruction will be very difficult considering Pakistan's current chaotic state. Mr. Borchgrave is correct, it has the simile of a Vietnam. Obama's two brigades won't do him any good when there is an entire border guard and half the NATO contingency are conscientious objectors. On the broader perspective what are the chances of the Taliban obtaining a nuclear weapon? That is also a consideration for analysis of the resurgence and global threat. In today's political, social and economic environment, nothing will probably be done until the first detonation. Then it will be too late.

A typical de Borchgrave analysis, unrelenting pessimism with no solutions in sight. The British Army of 1841 had few alternatives but retreat from a general uprising and no prospects of reinforcement or supply. NATO (American) forces are presently limited only by the level of support from the home front. It is weakness in that support that is once again allowing our enemies to fight on their own terms and put our soldiers' lives at risk. Our soldiers don't have to go through the gorge; they can choose their own ground, if we let them.

Pakistan is the problem. Without their cooperation we can neither isolate or destroy the Taliban.

The Pakistani population seems to be the real mystery. If they are an indigenous group resembling the Indians who have a sense of civil government, order, etc., then they may be the bane of the Taliban in Pakistan. The analysis we have read, well based, like others neglects a similar analysis of the elements of the Pakistani population. Are they like the south Vietnamese who really don't care who controls their country? Could the same crowds that mobbed to get their judges back support Taliban? What goes?