EDITORIAL: Achieving victory in Afghanistan

The conclusion of this article is ambiguous for two reasons. The major emphasis is on diplomatic pressure on Pakistan and a stronger NATO committment with a focus on controlling the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both actions require long term planning and logistics, not quick reactions. President Bush can provide the intitial committment, the Congress will go into recess before taking any action and the next President will be left with trying to control the border. It is building to a Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh trail simile and we don't want to go there again. The U.N. needs to step in and ask for a global committment to eradicate the Taliban once and for all. Suicide bombings killing innocent people is not a revolution, it is an open declaration of war and should be treated as such.