There's a lot of dominoes in that part of the world. I agree that being in Afghan is also influenced by Pakistan and what it will do. It's not so much about a Pakistani nuke against the US, but a Pakistani nuke against India - which would trigger a nuclear response.

In the end, Afghanistan is the training ground and staging area for all things bad. Any inciting of one-versus-another terrorism-wise or nuclear-wise, will come from associated extremist groups who hide in the Afghan badlands. Until the population there is turned from aiding the extremistts (and that's a main SpecOPS mission), the problem just persists and will rise its head again, teeth bared.

We had 9/11 because we backed off from dealing with the terrorism problem for several years by reducing intelligence and covert/overt response operations in exchange for social programs. It was a financial risk which backfired. Now, it costs even more to deal with an entrenched and organized network of associated extremists because they've had the time to get entrenched and organized, and we lost our ability to see within the groups due to "funds needed elsewhere." It will be worse if we take the same risk, which history has proved as deadly, only to pay a heck-of-a-lot more in another decade from now in lives and money.

Wishing it to go away will not make it happen.....