This is all about money and drugs. The Taliban are just the indoctrinated foot soldiers living a lie brought about by the powerful crime cartels in Iran and mainly Pakistan. It includes those powerful individuals who gave Osama protection. This is no different from Pablo Escobar and Columbia, FARC, the Columbian State and the US fight against Cocaine. We may have saved the lives of soldiers by withdrawing, but we will lose more lives on the streets of our towns and cities, through Heroin based crime. The vacuum of authority will also allow extremist views to grow again and we will probably be back bombing in 20 years time.