You rightly make the point that continuing to tacitly fascilitate torture is also counter-productive. Yet you have not addressed the point that the antics of the Republican Party play into terrorist hands. Are you admitting that they do? I've been honest with you, can you do the same? As for Afghanistan, Obama had to play the hand he was dealt. After much debate, he decided it was in America's long-term security interests to make one last-ditch effort to secure Afghanistan from the Taliban (and thus al Qaeda). Airstrikes in Pakistan are an essential part of that effort. But although you would love to side-track the discussion into debating Obama's strategy in Afghanistan, let's not let you off so easily. You have not addressed that point that right-winger Republicans are demonstrating the very behaviors bin Laden accuses us of--behaviors that are detrimental to our standing in the world and indeed, to our national security.