From Times Of India:Even as US military commanders seek a troop increase in Afghanistan to check a resurgent Taliban, US voter support is fast eroding. A CNN poll in September showed that 58% of Americans oppose the war while only 39% support it. Among Democrats, only 23% support the war, and the number keeps falling.
President Obama initially called the war in Afghanistan one of necessity, and proposed a big US troop increase. But with voter support slipping, Obama now says he will not rush the decision. Democratic Congressmen say in private that US withdrawal is a matter of time. One told me, ‘‘The British couldn’t pacify Afghanistan, the Russians couldn’t, and we can’t either.’’
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My Comment: His observations on the American political scene are very accurate, and it is what India fears the most. If the Taliban assume power in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, the worst case scenario will then unfold, with India being the primary target for Islamic extremists (like the Taliban) to attack.
I personally do not believe this will happen. Pakistan is one big country, and many people do not like the Taliban. The same can be said about Afghanistan. The Afghanistan of today is not what it was like in 1989 - 1992 when the Taliban took over. Even if popular sentiment in the West is to withdraw, a military/security presence will always be felt in the country to insure that the Taliban will never be able to govern properly or to function as a viable entity.
What will probably and eventually happen is a some form of agreement between the Kabul Government, NATO and Allied forces, and some major elements of the Taliban. This same strategy was used to great effect in Iraq .... and many believe that it will also be successful in Afghanistan.
All that I can say is that I hope that they are right.
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