Pakistan

The conflict in Afghanistan will be decided by how we handle Pakistan. They simultaneously kill hundreds of Taliban, and shoot at us during cross-border raids. The ISI has Taliban leanings, the military has military leanings, and the civilian government has corrupt leanings.

While many have been in denial, Afghanistan was always a regional conflict, the failure of ISAF to see it as such has only resulted in a successful ouster of the Taliban in 2001 culminating with their dramatic resurgence.