How to rid Afghanistan of Taliban, al-Qaida

There has been real progress in Afghanistan as we kick the Taliban out of more valleys and villages in Helmund and around Kandahar.

More and more villages are forming local militias with our training and arms. They hate the Taliban and Sharia law and want neither to return.

We are on track to start withdrawing a combat company of 200 men a week starting next July, which is about equal to the total of al-Qaida and Taliban that we kill a week in Afghanistan and Pakistan. About 100 local Taliban a week are also taking up the offer of turning on their al-Qaida masters, with the offer of a good job, house and land, and to join their local village militia. Reconciliation with local Taliban is critical because we can't kill our way to victory.

As we kick the Taliban out of more and more populated areas, we need to turn our attention to the massive opium, arms and hard-core Taliban fighters' traffic crossing the porous Afghan/Pakistan border. Surge all available Marine recon companies and Army special ops platoons to man borders to interdict with artillery fire, drones and called-in air strikes. Sensor fields, roaming ambush patrols, night flights by predator drones and helicopter gun ships with night-vision devices can put a real dent in cross border traffic.

Also do special ops on the Pakistan side of the border to further disrupt Taliban operations.

Col. William Peterson,

USMC, Retired

North Liberty