Hey folks, this is what the senior CIA guy has to say...

...about Afghanistan:

"Aside from sporadic, short-term ground operations meant to capture, not kill, al Qaeda and Taleban leaders, and infrequent air strikes -- which have hit several weddings or social occasions instead of terrorists -- al Qaeda and the Taleban have been under almost no military pressure in Afghanistan since March 2002…Only in summer 2003 did a new round of fighting start in the U.S.-Afghan war as the Taleban and al Qaeda -- in league with the forces of the "old" mujahideen -- increased attacks on U.S. bases, as well the convoys and patrols of U.S. forces and their Afghan allies. As events of recent months show, al Qaeda and its allies not only survived the wretchedly ill-conceived U.S. military campaign a waged against them, but have retained a strong presence in Afghanistan and seized the initiative."

For the entire article on the state of Afghanistan, read this.

And this isn't in the papers because?