Why are we in Afghanistan?

So, there I was this morning, settin out and smoking a cigar, reading, and finishing my coffee, when i caught on the edge of my peripheral vision a blip of tiny motion down on the sidewalk. Thought at first it was a cricket, but it moved froggishly and, in fact, turned out to be a frog no larger than my thumbnail and smaller than a cricket. Thinking to save it from the murderous feline vermin my wife cultivates, I moved it to a potted plant on the side porch. It was a beautiful bit of miniature amphibia.


What I was reading was von Clausewitz, Principles of War, not that I'm that mad at anyone. Clausewitz, in his section on strategy, wrote:

In regard to mountain warfare in general, we should observe that everything depends on the skill of our subordinate officers and still more on the morale of our soldiers. Here it is not a question of skillful maneuvering, but of warlike spirit and whole-hearted devotion to the cause; for each man is left more or less to act independently. That is why national militias are especially suited for mountain warfare. While they lack the ability to maneuver, they possess the other qualities to the highest degree.

Or, don't mess with mountain people in the mountains.