backwards

In Kabul, Taliban rehung their flag
Assuring females they've nothing to fear
as long as the're accoutred in a bag
and follow men twelve paces to the rear.
For their part, women fly to emigrate
or send their daughters overseas to school.
convinced this government will violate
such promises once it can make the rules.
Two trillion dollars! Not a lot to show
Afghanistan's much like the day we came.
One generation's had the chance to grow
but none--who have resources--will remain.
Another empire packs away its tents
and leaves the place without a government.

dark ops

McChrystal ran the show at Special Ops
whatever a battalion couldn't do
bin-Laden's agents never reached the top
each suddenly expired at "number two"
decapitation's not a strategy
but keeps a non-state actor leaning back
if we don't grant them legitimacy
we claim a freer hand in our attack
bin Laden brought the struggle to our shore
which struck Americans as so unfair
unhesitating to engage in war
as long as all the bleeding's over there
no monument's erected in the park
to those whose war's conducted in the dark

treacherous

Ashfaq Kayyani played a double game:
Musharref got to be the Head of State
positioned to take almost all the blame
while Army was still Master of State's fate
Haqqani assets still drew salaries
as patron he made sure they were well-armed
our taxes paid for what he gave out free
duplicitous false friend wrought our great harm
assuring us he'd bring bin-Laden's head
as token that we have nothing to fear
as if he were to our best int'rests wed
but sponsored terror strikes into Kashmir
AfPak remains where empires go to die
naive Americans conceive not why