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If the United States is treating Afghanistan as a sovereign country it has to prove it.

Afghan society is very complex, and Afghanistan has a very complex culture. Part of the reason it has remained unknown is because of this complexity.

I think we need to just be very clear about what we're trying to do in Afghanistan. Frankly, we're not trying to create the perfect democracy. We're never going to create some ideal society. We are simply there for our own national security.

They say Afghanistan is the worst country for a girl to be born. Hogwash!

I think the emancipation of women in Afghanistan has to come from inside, through Afghans themselves, gradually, over time.

It is the responsibility of Afghanistan's new government to gain better control over the country's administration and to resolutely fight the drug trade and corruption.

Now, al Qaeda's on the run. Afghanistan is no longer a base of operations. The Afghan government is a friendly government that is trying to bring democracy to its people.

Talking to the Taliban is a process the Afghans have to manage. It is their country.

A Western-style democracy in Afghanistan is a dream. I don't see that as a reality anytime soon. But I think some form of representative political process is not that far-fetched.

Afghan people are just so tired of war.