Thus they created their military organisation that actually was nothing to write home about, their success in taking over Afghanistan was because of their affinity to the Islamic schools which meant that they had the religious authority to issue holy judgement..like telling people to stop fighting and go home.

In this region Islam is the ultimate weapon. Like it or not, any group can use the Quran(same as ny other master piece of holy scripture) to legitimize themselves. The Talibans(meaning "students" by the way) were no diffrent.

Non the less, you may be right. The Ottoman empire, whileoperating in diffrent areas but against similar forces(notably beduins and Mamluks) use to crush resistance and than let the former leaders of resistance come back to power with conditions-pay your taxes and aknowlege the Halif as your ruler. This worked well because A) It prevented another rise of the resistance, B- The local leaders usually knew the country better than the central regieme in Turkey. I dont know anymore. My country has spent 60 years fighting what is a natinal movment on religous steroids. Nothing phases the much. We tried killing, we tried hugging, we tried just about any trick. I think that we should all recognzie that the idea of occupying a country like Afghanistan and making order isent very sound. You can go in and destroy every terror base, and you will have quiet for a while. Or you can occupy and fight for decades, and at least the people killed will be soldiers(and lets face it, its part of our job) instead of civilians- this is essentially what israel is doing right now. There is no end-all batle with terror, just a long long war of attrition. Your goal is to keep them fighting for their lives so they cant produce attacks against your civilian body.

Getting rid of the poppy fields gave a lot of manpower and support to the enemy right there. A LOT of farmers who were otherwise apathetic started fighting us because it was such a prevalent crop.

Making problems for yourself in the name of the War on Drugs.

Originally Posted by Bimcnorth

During millennia no outside force have ever managed to control Afghanistan using military means..it have always been a case of increasingly bigger losses by the occupying force.

And at one point they realise that they are sinking money and lives into a bottomless hole and leave.

The British and then the Russians learned that lesson.

When will the U.S.?

Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan was lost from the start without somehow blocking the porous Pakistan border, through which the Taliban and others could appear, kill, and then disappear at will. I said as much from the first days, because it was obvious; our leaders did not have will to pursue this matter and so this campaign was always going to be a very different kettle of fish from Iraq.

I put forward the proposition from the start that our enemies would be happy to pick off our boys off at leisure for 100 years if necessary, or a 1000.

Only Genghis Khan ever controlled the Afghans, and he never occupied, but he left nothing standing but small huts built of bones, by passing over it like a storm regularly, and that is why you see the landscape of Afghanistan to this day.

I think they will be involved in the peace plan there. But I guarantee the first sign that they try to take things over completely again they will be removed (again) and I think they realize that. Some moderates within the Taliban seem ready to negotiate. At they very least getting them on our side divides the Taliban and causes problems.

Originally Posted by Del Boy

Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan was lost from the start without somehow blocking the porous Pakistan border, through which the Taliban and others could appear, kill, and then disappear at will. I said as much from the first days, because it was obvious; our leaders did not have will to pursue this matter and so this campaign was always going to be a very different kettle of fish from Iraq.

I put forward the proposition from the start that our enemies would be happy to pick off our boys off at leisure for 100 years if necessary, or a 1000.

Only Genghis Khan ever controlled the Afghans, and he never occupied, but he left nothing standing but small huts built of bones, by passing over it like a storm regularly, and that is why you see the landscape of Afghanistan to this day.

Agree 100%

Should wounded you fall on the Afghan Plain.

And the women come out to hack up your remains.

Roll to your rifle, and blow out your brains.

And go to your God like a solider.

Kipling advice to a British Solider I believe. Also relevant today I think.

Yep, and today comes the news that President Obama appears to have reached the same conclusion, and is attempting to act militarily and politically in the case of Pakistan as well as Aghanistan. Has to happen that way if Afghanistan is to be saved.

I'm pleased to see that there will be a joined up plan to tackle the situation. I'm even more pleased to see that 4,000 troops will be put into increasing training for the Afghan Army, now we need to see something similar for the Afghan police. I feel that this will enable the ISAF forces to withdraw in an orderley fashion - because we will have given the Afghans ownership of the situation.