I think the thread is right on. I really fear the world will look back on the Iraq and Afghan wars as the worst things to ever happen in that part of the world for modern times. Not for what has already occurred in those places, however bad it's been.....but what it yet to come.

U.S. forces will be out of Iraq by Dec, 31. Which is more likely here? All the insurgents just gave up the life of a fighter and picked up farming or basket weaving in a nation with no employment? Or.....They FINALLY figured out that if they just play possum for awhile and behave, we'd pick up all our toys and go home sooner than later? I'm betting door number two...and I pity the Embassy staff in January. That won't be a nice place.

Afghanistan will probably be moved up...and pretty quickly..when Obama sees Iraq revert to something worse than the bad old days of 2004. Pakistan is already sending him nasty notes on his blackberry and he actually spent time there as a kid. That probably really offends Obama. I'm serious on that...He really does care about image. So he won't have much patience for playing out Afghanistan longer than Iraq going down the hole gives him the excuse for. That's how I see it playing out....

Then you're 100% right. Afghanistan falls right back into the Wild West nightmare with modern weapons that it was between the withdrawal of the Soviets and the take-over of the Taliban. I'm SURE the 10's of thousands who've worked with us or helped us in any way will be forgiven right? Arabs are all real understanding and forgiving people...aren't they? Worse than Vietnam... It hasn't happened yet, but thats a technicality for the inevitable.

the western puppets and their supporters will be tossed out of afghanistan once u.s and nato pull out.

afghanistan has never been conquered by a foriegn army and never will be.
the afghan people are fiercely independent and will fight till every last invader and their puppets are removed from the country.

pity the u.s didnt study history and what happened to past would-be conquerers in afghanistan...it would have saved them their second costly mistake after vietnam.

some peoples will fight for freedom from outside oppression at all cost...

the place(S) is(are) still full and will continue to be full of
mercenaries

what if China decides ro allie up with afghanastan?? and tells the U.S to get out or get bombed??than what, who knows.

Umm, whoever the authour of the article is but they are an absolute idiot.

Afghanistan has been under some form of civil war and disarray since the fall of the monarchy in 1973