Afghanistan

[Kasz216]

SciFiBoy said:

can someone explain to me:

1) why we arent stopping the taliban?
2) how many years will it take to stop them, if indeed we can stop them?
3) how many civilians and troops need to die to stop them
4) if the taliban cant be defeated, why are we there?
5) do the taliban pose a direct thread to the UK and/or US?

1) They're hiding in Pakistan.  We can't just go bombing soverign nations... or at least not ones allied with the west.  Well or shouldn't.  For some reason Obama wants to lob missles into Pakistan.  Hey at least he's following up on a campaign promise.  We were doing ok... but then Bush screwed it up... and Obama is just making the situation worse.

2) Unknown.  They could be stopped.  But it will take a strategy that actually wants to rebuild.

3) Civilians?  Probably lots.  The thing with underground terrorists is... you don't know what they look like.  Plenty of innocents are going to get in the crosshairs.  Even if you do focus on rebuilding, education and making the locals your friends.

4) They can be... though even in cases where you can't defeat your enemies if you can harass and stall them it is often worth it.  The Taliban of today doesn't have control over Afghanistan for example.  If the US and allies did it's job right those people would be living ebtter.

5) Not much of one no.