Afghanistan, what's it good for?

Andrew Exum, aka Abu Muqawama, was the first blogger I ever followed on a regular basis. The format has changed from time to time, and he now blogs under the aegis of the Center for a New American Security, which worries me—will he start channelling Field Manual FM 3-24? Not yet, anyhow. At the moment he’s posing the question—it’s a submit-the-essay question, but of course plenty of people are piling on in the comments section—as to whether we have any notion of what we’re doing in Afghanistan, and whether it’s worth the cost.

By the way, I have with regret removed Tom Ricks from my blogroll (righthand column halfway down) because one representative of a single think-tank (CNAS) is enough. Besides, he's on vacation. These must be worth visiting at least weekly. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford