Tom Toles for October 08, 2009

In a place where the average lifespan is under 30 years, 8 years is a long time. The real chance to do something was back in the first year.

Call a Loya Jirga and let the chieftains decide whether they want us to stay.

I propose sending 1,000 teachers and 1,000 Peace Corps. volunteers to spend two years establishing 50 Peace Camps where we give the Afgan people what the want and need. The military will provide security. A SPecial Forces will be available to find Al Qaeda. The Rest of the military and private war contractors must leave at once!

Bob:Canada has been doing similar things for a while. As soon as the military leaves the Taliban comes in, burns the new school and beats on the residents into submission.

So I like your idea, except that the Taliban needs to be hunted as much as Al Qaeda.

DUMP THEM ALL AND START OVER

Next panel: … until the 2010 election campaigns begin then we’ll attack Dems for getting us into a Vietnam-like quagmire.

Why the Elephant? Not one Republican vote is necessary for anything… Pull our forces out and let the people of Afghanistan have a refresher course in what there trying to decide between…Then we might get more cooperation.

TheophilusPup, as long as the Taliban don’t come back in and destroy everything again.

If you want Afghanistan to be right do it the way Charlie Wilson did it. Hire rebels to take out the Taliban and THIS TIME build schools to teach them to be civilians again.

But of course what they’ll do instead is drop bomb after bomb, send in soldiers to try and kill these guys as well as their civilians and we’ll end up with another Vietnam.