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From the Forums

THE ’STAN STRATEGY

The thing I want to hear, that I haven’t, is what we expect Afghanistan to look like when we’re done. Will there be a strong, central, democratically elected government? What will be the political role of the tribal leaders? Sure, we can kill some more bad guys, but what’s the plan to truly transform the country and culture?

— Measure Man

All the Taliban has to do now is hunker down until 2012, and then they are golden. Of course, that means Afghans that were allied with us might have 2012 or 2013 on their tombstones.

— MitchellJD1969

The problem in Afghanistan is that you have to have a nation to build before doing nation-building. It isn’t so much a nation as it is a region with many different tribes that have their own distinct cultures, languages, and values. You cannot force a national identity on people. Once we realize this, we might actually achieve some success.

— RONALD45

We are trying to make the Afghans have something they’ve never had and don’t seem to want. I don’t think we’re going to be able to pull off making that country into a functioning nation. I don’t think we have the energy at this point. It was wasted in Iraq. We should put in a good-faith effort for another 18 months and come home.

— MSMUROTC

PRAISE FOR OBAMA

President Obama’s Nobel Prize speech was the best he’s ever made. Now if he can just follow through, unencumbered by the radical left and right.

— ChiefB

I thought the speech was very good. A lot of people are hung up on the July 2011 withdrawal deadline from Afghanistan, but that is a target date to begin pulling out. Obama also did a good job of explaining and reminding us why we are in Afghanistan by discussing Sept. 11, 2001.

— Nickymaz

PRAISE FOR MCCAIN

As much as I disagree with Sen. John McCain on a multitude of issues, he did nail one important point: Timetables should not be arbitrarily set [“Afghanistan withdrawal in ’11 could be problem, critics say,” Dec. 14]. Victory and success are what should determine timetables. With no clearly defined goals in Afghanistan and an arbitrary timetable, I do not see how Obama’s plan is any better than the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

— Variable Wind