War is not politics, it is violence – murder – on an enormous scale. It does not lead to democracy, security, or good governance, it leads to anger, humiliation, and above all else, more violence.
A response to Spencer Ackerman's opening gambit on Pakistan diplomacy
The real endgame Karzai is working toward is that of a nominal, Pashtun-nationalist government in Kabul overlaying a Taliban-dominated countryside. Together they function not only as a crime family capable of exploiting Afghanistan's resources but also as a highly effective proxy for Pakistan's interminable battle against Indian influence.
As the US campaign in Helmand and Kandahar, blame has increasingly shifted toward allies like NATO, Karzai, and Pakistan. The US wants them to "do more." But they are doing more. The problem is not our allies, but the war itself.
Preliminary thoughts on the National Peace Jirga in Afghanistan