U.S. has lost the war in Afghanistan because of its own failings, scapegoating Pakistan is an easy way out.

Ten years on, U.S. is failing miserably in Afghanistan. Not because it does not have the resources, the manpower or finances (well finances they no longer have), but because of its arrogance and lack of direction.

From day one it played in the hands of minority Northern Alliance, against majority Pashtuns. This was a disastrous policy and it has taken U.S. nine years to reluctantly begin to realize the folly.

According to former CIA officials Osama bin Laden was within sight and earshot and could have been finished off at Tora Bora, but he was deliberately allowed to escape, perhaps Iraq war was already on the agenda for the bunch of war criminals led by George W. Bush. The Afghan war could have ended within six months and the trillions of dollars that have been wasted over ten years bankrupting the U.S. could have been saved. Why does the Congress not investigate this, rather than waste time on meaningless partisan bickering?

However despicable the Taliban's domestic policy and attitude towards women, they did not attack the United States. By making them its enemy, U.S. took on a well armed group that does not fear for life. U.S. was advised time and again to negotiate with Taliban to bring the war to an end. But with its military might, how could a super power like U.S. negotiate with a bunch of rag tag warriors? This is exactly how the Vietnam war was lost and this is how the Afghan is now being lost.

It has taken U.S. ten years to start a dialogue but only with Taliban of choice. This is too little too late. Had a proper dialogue been undertaken nine, eight, seven or even five years ago, Taliban may have been ready to talk peace. Now they know that U.S. is beat and ready to quit, they may not be keen on a dialogue.

To blame Pakistan for the attack on U.S. Embassy in Kabul is preposterous. U.S. still cannot see reality in the face and to heap the blame on Pakistan is an easy way out. However, it is time for U.S. to admit its failure and utilize Pakistan's help to start a meaningful and a conclusive dialogue with all Afghan factions so as to hand over Afghanistan to Afghans, sooner rather than later.

Ten years of U.S. war has ravaged that miserable country. The alleged war crimes committed by U.S. forces and contractors at Bagram prison are probably far worse than Abu Ghuraib, only this time a lid has been kept on them so information has not leaked out. Hopefully one day, the U.S. military generals and policy makers will be hauled before the International Criminal Court to face their come uppance.

GOOD RIDDANCE Osama bin Ladin

Last night President Barrack Obama confirmed the death of elusive terrorist Osama bin Ladin. He was killed through a military operation on a private mansion in Abbottabad, a city located 70 miles due north of Islamabad in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly known as the North West Frontier Province) in Pakistan. Pakistan Military Academy, where all Army soldiers are given their initial training is located just 6 kilometers from Abbottabad.

Not much information is forthcoming at this stage about how it all happened. The actual operation seems to have been an all American one. There may have been some intelligence coordination with Pakistan. General Petraeus' visit to Islamabad and his meeting with General Ashfaq Kiyani a couple of days ago may have something to do with it. The strange thing is that there is no word either from Pakistan Army, the or the Pakistani Government.

The media reports suggest that Osama bin Ladin has been buried at sea. This may well have been done to avoid a shrine being built around his grave giving a focal point to his supporters. However, what is hard to fathom is, how was his body flown to the Arabian Sea. The Chinook Helicopters that took part in the attack would have had at least one hour flight from Bagram to Abbottabad and the trip down to sea would take another four and the return journey to nearest base in Afghanistan (say Kandhar) would take another two hours. The question is, does a Chinook helicopter have the capacity to fly seven hours without refuelling?

Burying Osama bin Ladin at sea raises some questions. Hopefully, the US Administration will soon release pictures of a dead Osama bin Ladin for the satisfaction of American people as well as for the world at large. Knowing how cautious President Obama is in these matter, he wouldn't stake his Presidency on it unless he had checked and rechecked several times with the ground forces, Pentagon and the CIA before his address to the nation last night.

GOOD RIDDANCE Osama bin Ladin. You unleashed terror not just on the West, but also equally ferociously on the Muslim world. The 9/11 attacks, the suicide bombings, the killing of innocent people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Yemen and elsewhere is your legacy. You have blood on your soul of thousands of people around the world who did you no harm. The world is a better place today than it was yesterday.

Questions about Afghanistan War - Why is the U.S. failing?

Ten years after the launch of Afghan war, why is the U.S. on verge of losing this war? This is a question that haunts many a military strategists and U.S. citizens who have scarified life and treasure.

Ten years after the launch of this war, there has been no comprehensive analysis of why this war is still going on and why things have gone so wrong? Each time a new military commander is sent to Afghanistan, hope rises but then it fades again. By now, serious questions should have been raised by the intelligentsia in the U.S. They should have challenged successive U.S. Administrations and their analysis of this war. Also, the question needs to be asked of the Administration - when will this war end?

In the first year of war, Taliban had all but surrendered - not in the military sense, but they gave up fighting and went back to their fields to their day to day lives. Why did the war not end then? Why were public development projects not started at that time for upliftment of Afghan society? An investment of $20 billion could have revolutionized Afghan cities, provinces and the Country as whole. In whose interest was it to continue the war and spend several hundred billion dollars bankrupting America?

Osama bin Ladin and Al-Qaeda were on the run and some former U.S. intelligence officials suspect, he was allowed to escape from Tora Bora. If that is true, then why did that happen and why have no serious questions been asked in the U.S. by politicians or the media.

Many believe that suffering from a serious kidney ailment, Osama bin Ladin died several years ago. If that is the case, then why are successive Administrations not telling the truth? If the intelligence community does not know whether he is dead or alive, then what kind of intelligence work are they doing? If they are not sure whether he is dead or alive, then who are they chasing?

Through lack of country knowledge and perhaps naivete, U.S. allowed minority Tajiks & Uzbeks to dominate majority Pashtuns in running the affairs of Afghanistan in earlier years. As Taliban were Pashtun, some simple minds probably thought that all Pashtuns were Taliban. This was far from the truth as a majority of Pashtuns were also sick and tired of Taliban's extreme views. Uzbek warlord Rashid Dostum's murderous gangs killed most of Pashtun POWs. The Tajiks were equally vicious. Pashtun prisoners were locked up in 40 foot freight containers without water, food or sanitation, most died before the containers were opened weeks later. Many were simply lined up and shot and all this under the U.S. watch!

Persecuted, the Pashtuns started to support the Taliban (by now almost extinct) once again, even those who had never supported them before. Sympathy and cash revived them into a more potent force than at the outset of war. Some brilliant minds in the U.S. thought that allowing Afghans to grow poppy once again (completely banished under Taliban rule) will probably make them happy. Indeed it did and it also started a multi-billion dollar drug trade. Some of the poppy proceeds started to flow to Taliban. As a result, they have become a formidable force today.

So Mr. Obama, you said this is a war of necessity, then why have things gone so wrong and why is the U.S. on the verge of losing it? After hundreds of billions of dollars and many lives lost (U.S., Afghan and Pakistan), what has been accomplished so far?

More importantly, Mr. Obama, when will this war end?