I think the new initiative of McChrystal is overplayed. I don't think they're going to implement a direct analogue to the 'sons of Iraq' strategy. It's possible that this is just a tool to pressure the Afghan government to play along. And otherwise, the surge can still make sense from a push-pull perspective.
The problem is the fucked up nature of the government and the secret ops that have already been ongoing, as well as the wrongheaded focus on the drug side of the equation. The strategy would be much simpler for the US military if it got into the trade itself (officially).
If religion be the opiate of masses, what then be opium? As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
