For 30 years it was all we had! Now, the perfect solution might be a platform with 100s of different sub-munitions that can stay on station for hour after hour at medium to high level with tailored deliveries being guided by laser/tv/gps. We didn't have the technologies to support that then and that solution is not sustainable in all threat environments but it would be ideal in Afg. As in all these things we have to compromise and, lets face it, most of the platforms we have now (including Typhoon) were designed for an environment that was hostile from 0ft all the way up.
The Harrier could do that job as well as most and makes a pretty damn good job of the medium level role where it doesn't have any air-air threat to worry about.