Every Civilian's Death Diminishes Us, Collectively.

The Fact Is That Iran Doesn't Want To See The Taliban Come Back Any More Than Do Most Afghan Citizens.

If You Look At Casualties, You Find Countries That Had Much Higher Loss Rates Per Capita Than The Us. Denmark Comes To Mind, The United Kingdom, They Have Suffered Heavy Losses At Various Points, The Germans As Well.

There Is No Military Solution To The Challenges Of Syria.

Us Forces Have Been Increased [in Afghanistan ] From Some 21,000 To About 31,000 Over The Past Two Years And A Number Of Coalition Countries Have Also Increased Their Forces, There Still Are Not Sufficient Troops.

There Are Some Ideas That Will Translate From Iraq To Afghanistan And There Are Many That Will Not. The First Lesson Of Counterinsurgency, In Fact, Is That Every Situation Is Truly Unique, Has Its Own Context, Its Own Specific Set Of Factors - And You Have To Understand That Context In Enormous Detail To Be Able To Craft A Sound And Comprehensive Approach.