Work Unifinished

Because the Bush Administration failed to stick to the task in Afghanistan, this is the headline:

Karzai offers talks with Taliban to end bloodshed

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday offered peace talks with a resurgent Taliban after the bloodiest year since the hardline Islamists were driven from power in 2001.
More than 4,000 people, including about 170 foreign soldiers, died in fighting in 2006, which saw a dramatic jump in suicide bombings, and Taliban commanders have warned of a massive summer offensive this year.

Afghanistan is the nation that actually brought harm upon the US by aiding Al-Qaeda. The military action against Afghanistan was just. It was also under-manned and unfinished. President Bush decided that an unjust invasion of a nation that had not done direct harm to the US had to be launched. Furthermore, he decided that the unjust invasion was 5x as important as the just military action (judging by troop strength). So, bin Laden escaped and the Taliban remains a force of some potency.

How have our interests been served?

A key explanation for the 'surge' has been that we should not let the sacrifices of troops be in vain. What about Afghanistan? Would an agreement with the Taliban- those who assisted and gave sanctuary to bin Laden- not be an offense to those who have fought, sacrificed, and died in a just cause?

GP