Why decades?

UK in Afghanistan for decades, says our man in Washington

"We're going to have a very long-term commitment to Afghanistan's future. This is not just one year," Sir Nigel said in an interview with The Boston Globe. "This is going to be for decades. We're going to help them get to a state which can they can ward off the return of the Taliban and al-Qa'ida. That's our strategic objective. We need to avoid the vacuum returning. And that's what this huge effort is about."

Grim outlook? You bet it is. The Soviet Union was planning on staying for decades. Will we never learn from history?