"They have no intention of abiding by their agreement," said one official briefed on the intelligence. NBC News reports that two other officials described the intel as explicit evidence shedding light on the Taliban's intentions.Of course they don't. They'll say whatever they need to say to get the US forces to leave, then they'll do what they intend to do. Take over the country. We've seen this before in other regions. Folks like the Taliban are fighting the long war, and they'll do what is necessary to achieve their long-term goals.
The question is whether or not was should be there. We can argue whatever we like, but the simple truth is that the United States doesn't like long wars. And, we've been in Afghanistan for a long time. Long enough for the government there to stand up. If they are incapable of governing themselves, it's not the fault of American treasure and blood. At some point, it's on them.
I'm no expert on the country, but I've talked to guys who served over there. By all accounts, it's pretty much a shithole. I know why we went over there, but I can't figure out why we're still there. It's time to declare victory and come home.
America did like one long war - the Indian Wars. Lasted well over a century, from before independence to almost the end of the 19th century. Although, as the plural of the name implies, that was really an ongoing series of smaller wars against separate tribes.
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