Also my solution, retrospectively: Americans should have go in relatively hard in December 2001 with all special forces units available (also from allied nations) plus the entire 10th Mountain and kill Osama at Tora Bora then immediately get out with the unironic aircraft carrier banner "Mission Accomplished" and leave it to anyone who wanted to be involved in this business from there on (with Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China being aligned but not quite on this issue - I guess Russia and Iran would ask China to pressure the Pakis to stop aiding the Taliban remnants). Instead the "fallacy" of the Graveyard of Empires turned out to be true. The American empire, if you can call it so, really died there in long turn.
I guess the Afghans really don't give a fuck about warlords and Taliban.
Imposing your will and a national government was impossible on tribes who really couldn't give a shit about anything and any authority outside their little area.
In a way, the Afghans are more freedom-minded and resilient than Americans.
Also my solution, retrospectively: Americans should have go in relatively hard in December 2001 with all special forces units available (also from allied nations) plus the entire 10th Mountain and kill Osama at Tora Bora then immediately get out with the unironic aircraft carrier banner "Mission Accomplished" and leave it to anyone who wanted to be involved in this business from there on (with Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China being aligned but not quite on this issue - I guess Russia and Iran would ask China to pressure the Pakis to stop aiding the Taliban remnants). Instead the "fallacy" of the Graveyard of Empires turned out to be true. The American empire, if you can call it so, really died there in long turn.
I guess the Afghans really don't give a fuck about warlords and Taliban.
Imposing your will and a national government was impossible on tribes who really couldn't give a shit about anything and any authority outside their little area.
In a way, the Afghans are more freedom-minded and resilient than Americans.