THE FORUM: "Why we can't go small in Afghanistan," by Bruce Riedel and Michael O'Hanlon, USA Today, 24 September 2009.

Biden pushing this with Obama (a plan to go very Robert Kaplan-y and try to rule the region with just Special Operators--something I think even Kaplan has backed away from re: Af-Pak, has he not?) is just plain disappointing.

But that's why he never could elected president: his vaunted foreign policy skill really isn't that hot.

The dream of successful drone strikes with minimal ground presence--or better yet, social presence--is a true chimera. That's one of the several points made by Riedel and O'Hanlon in this very smart piece.