David Brooks may be able describe how not to lose in Afganistan, but he can’t say what a win would even look like. Also, while the leadership of Al Qaeda was based in Afganistan prior to 9/11, zero of the 9/11 hijackers trained in Afganistan. I think there are good arguments that real work in stopping terrorists isn’t done in the middle east, but within the US. There is also the fact that there are real costs to the US that are much easier to measure for staying in Afganistan, the cost to the US for leaving Afganistan are all hypothetical.
Well put, Josh.
I do wonder, like George Will, if we can rely primarily on air power to contain the Taliban elements in Afghanistan, just as it bottled up Saddam for years prior to the Iraq war.
This leads to how we should deal with Iran. If inspectors aren’t allowed into Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, there will be pressure to do something to enforce non-proliferation agreements. I wonder if surgically bombing these facilities via aircraft might be necessary, in a way that minimizes civilian casualties.
What do you think?