[Dreqsqse]

I remain unconvinced that the West has to offer more to the Afghanis than the Taliban have. The Taliban are closer to average Achmed's mindset than the corrupt drug-trading warlords we put in charge will ever be. Also, after 8 years, Karzai is still not more than the second mayor of Kabul. There still is no strong national government, in the contrary, local governmental institutions are eroded by corruption and infiltration by the Taliban.

What we have to offer to Afghanistan has parallels to the Germany past of 1648. The national government would still be merely more than a facade for a nation which is deeply devided in tribes, partly at war with each other, selling out its own people to foreign powers which recklessly exploit the weakness of their neighbouring country.

Having talked to some (muslim) german soldiers who were deployed in Afghanistan for several years, I think the smartest option would have been to reinstate the king and set up some kind of "constitutional" monarchy (with some kind of senate consisting of delegates sent by the tribes instead of elected politicians). This way, we would have had a figure which had united the tribes, and a caucus through which the people in power (the tribal leaders) could have decided on the future of the nation. That way, we would have acknowledged and honoured the power of the tribes, founded an institution behind which the tribes could have united as a nation and created a government which could challenge the Taliban without having the flaw that it smelled entirely of infidel invaders.