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For one thing, artificial timelines should not be placed on a drawdown of troops. To many, this was Obama's strategy's fatal flaw. Not only did it broadcast an end date for the Taliban to plan offensives around, but it also decreased their incentive to work toward a political settlement with the national government. Why would the Taliban negotiate to be a minority political party when they could instead continue chipping away at that national government until it collapses, occupying the power vacuum left behind? Additionally, the timeline was born out of political expediency, not strategy. The drawdown was a part of the president's campaign promises and reflected a waning domestic interest in the conflict. Instead, the incoming administration should base a U.S. departure from Afghanistan on one simple question: Has the Taliban committed to a political compromise with the national government? Unfortunately, that will only come after the Taliban is sufficiently pressured. In order to do that, the Taliban and other insurgency groups must be denied safe-havens in neighboring Pakistan.

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Faced with a no-win scenario in Afghanistan, US leaders must learn from Star Trek - The Diamondback