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Let's, for the sake of argument, leave alone the overpowering exigencies of imperialism, which are directly responsible for the unending mess in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's say the commonplace things instead. What do the Taliban want? They want to rule Afghanistan. And they probably aspire to outsource the government in Pakistan to a home-grown subsidiary from Waziristan. Moreover, the battle-hardened militias plan to rule by their unacceptably narrow interpretation of Islamic laws.

What does Al Qaeda want? Its leaders set out to topple the Saudi ruling family, primarily. As if the weekly chopping of hands and heads in the name of religion in the oil-rich kingdom is already not bad enough advertisement for a misunderstood faith, Al Qaeda seeks to replace it with an even more...