Vad kommer att hända i Afghanistan?

Följande citat ur Robert Gates, den Amerikanske Försvarsministerns, artikel i Foreign Affairs kallad 'Preparing the Pentagon for a New Age' säger väldigt mycket om hur man tänker gå vidare i Irak och Afghanistan/Pakistan:

"The United States' ability to deal with future threats will depend on its performance in current conflicts. To be blunt, to fail -- or to be seen to fail -- in either Iraq or Afghanistan would be a disastrous blow to U.S. credibility, both among friends and allies and among potential adversaries."