Gates said:

"I worry that for many Europeans the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are confused," Gates said as he flew here to deliver a speech at an international security conference.

So at the most basic level, there is a choice to be made about Afghanistan: stay or leave.

"I think that they combine the two," Gates continued. "Many of them, I think, have a problem with our involvement in Iraq and project that to Afghanistan and do not understand the very different - for them - the very different kind of threat."

My "confusion" was largely sarcastic and in response to the supposed confusion of Europeans.

Personally, I think both invasions and occupations were the wrong answer to the question posed by September 11, 2001. Unfortunately, my favored approach no longer seems like a possibility anymore.