> > We could have them out of power at the drop of a hat.
>
> Great idea. One little word: Vietnam.

Another little word: Israel.

I'm thinking: At a time when the UK was pretty much in a position to "deal with any country in the world how we choose", it decided to create a country where none was previously. OK, it wasn't alone, which may be the largest cause for the failure.
My point is that while the US certainly has the power to do it, I seriously doubt whether it could find the political agreement (both internally and internationally) to do so in a sufficiently consistent fashion for the talibans to "disappear".

julian