...but misses the mark towards a consistent policy towards Afghanistan. Today's lead Times editorial ends with:
Longer term, the answer lies in a consistent, integrated and well-financed plan to establish security throughout Afghanistan, put kingpins in jail, develop a market economy and a functioning government in Kabul, and rapidly expand incentives for smaller farmers to stop growing poppies. It is all one more daunting Bush administration legacy that will be left for the next president to fix.
But they still don't see the fundamental disconnect between, "putting the kingpins in jail" and "develop a market economy." How can you have a market without capital?
I've written previous blogs on the fundamental disconnects in US policy towards Afghanistan here and here. Until there is some resolution to the poppy problem, this conflict isn't going away soon.