To the editor:

Would someone please explain to me how we can believe that continuing this war in Afghanistan can ever result in victory? The Taliban has safe sanctuary in Pakistan, and we cannot invade Pakistan for many obvious reasons, the first of which is that they are an unpredictable nuclear power.

Our allies in Afghanistan are the members of the totally corrupt central government. We are supposedly turning control over to them when we leave, but they are despised by the general population just as we are viewed as one more outside occupying infidel army, an occupying force that does not share any of their religious beliefs. Afghanistan has been through this many times in its history and no outside force has ever changed anything permanently. The country will wait until we tire of the casualties and invite the Taliban back as soon as we leave and our supposed allies will be forced to flee or die.

The only thing we can do there is to prove once again that we learn nothing at all from history. If Mr. Obama is thinking realistically about a second term in office, then he should realize that the American voters are fed up with these unwinnable wars and bring the troops home as soon as possible, along with those who have cooperated with us there. He should also take a long, hard look at the other 148 countries in the world where we have our troops stationed. I say this as an old veteran who knows war and what it can and cannot do.