The Real Enemy

Carlotta Gall covered Pakistan for The New York Times for 12 years. She states unequivocally that the Pakistani military's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, the ISI, is a major supporter of the Taliban and the Haqqani Network - terrorist enemies of the U.S. in Afghanistan.

In addition, ISI was coordinating activities with al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden, prior to his death at the hands of U.S.Navy Seals. According to Ms. Gall, ISI's goal is Pakistani domination of Afghanistan following the exit of coalition forces, led by the U.S. See her conclusion:

After 13 years, more than a trillion dollars spent, 120,000 foreign troops deployed at the height of the war and tens of thousands of lives lost, Afghanistan’s predicament has not changed: It remains a weak state, prey to the ambitions of its neighbors and extremist Islamists. This is perhaps an unpopular opinion, but to pull out now is, undeniably, to leave with the job only half-done. Meanwhile, the real enemy remains at large.

Gall is very clear that our real enemy is Pakistan, which the U.S. uneasily calls an "ally."