Pentagon chief urges immediate reduction in Taliban violence

US get out of Afghanistan; focus attention instead on solving the growing number of problems within our own border. Let Russia and China continue their fights for Afghanistan's resources and shipping routes.

'..progress toward peace in Afghanistan and an end to U.S. military involvement there depend on the Taliban reducing their attacks'. This is what the new Secretary of Defense announced.

In other words, US military would not end their presence in Kabul. Could anyone not guess correctly his intention?

US get out of Afghanistan; focus attention instead on solving the growing number of problems within our own border. Let Russia and China continue their fights for Afghanistan's resources and shipping routes.

That worked real good when we walked away from Afghanistan the last time. Maybe if the US had remained engaged in Afghanistan after the Soviets left there wouldn't have been the conditions that allowed the Taliban to come to power and provide a haven for AQ. It was America's abandonment of Afghanistan in the 1990s that set the stage for the intramural wars between Afghan warlords that allowed the Taliban to come to power and that in turn led to the 9-11 attacks and all that followed. Protecting US interests in the long term is going to require the US and its allies to remain involved in Afghanistan for a long time to come. Walking away will only lead to another 9-11 style barbarity. Yeah its hard work, but it is better than the alternatives.