Winning in Afghanistan (Part Two)

Since last November, when I asked the rhetorical question "what does winning in Afghanistan look like," hundreds of Americans have been killed or injured in action, billions of dollars have been spent, the Afghan government has grown even more corrupt, and Pakistan, our supposed ally, is colluding with the Taliban. Despite all that, neither President Obama nor anyone in his administration has described, at least to my satisfaction, how we'll know when we've won so we can bring our troops home. Just today, Washington Post writer Michael Gerson ends his column by stressing the importance of winning in Afghanistan, but he neglects to explain what that means to him. (I've sent him an e-mail and asked him; I'll post his reply if he sends one.) I believe we have a right to know what our short-term and long-term goals are in Afghanistan, and to say simply that we're there to keep America secure is quickly sounding a bit vague and empty.