Afghan Rebels Change Tactics Amid Losses

Afghanistan:

Four years after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power, insurgents are no longer able to carry out large-scale attacks and lack centralized coordination, said Col. James Yonts, spokesman for the 21,000-strong U.S.-led coalition force in Afghanistan.

"What we are seeing is a change in tactics," Yonts said. "They no longer have that pool of resources that they can mount a serious offensive against us."

Instead, he said, small pockets of insurgents are resorting to roadside bombs often targeting civilians and harassing attacks on police posts.

Despite the weakening of the Taliban/Al Qaeda/Rebel forces, the roadside bomb scenario will no doubt continue for years, just as it will in Iraq. But just as we wouldn't abandon our own territory because a group of Timothy McVeighs and Unabombers blew up stuff, we shouldn't legitimatize the actions of terrorists and common criminals in the nations we're helping establish.

For what it's worth, Afghanistan will always be a backwater and no level of democracy or security will ever change that. But it may as well be FREE and FREINDLY backwater.