The military campaign against the Taliban has fulfilled the expectations of Pakistan's ruler, General Musharraf, who hoped it would be "short and sharp." And so it was. All of a sudden, the scent of victory is in the air. Last week, according to our disgruntled hawks, the war was "stalled," and Senator John McCain and his amen chorus in the media were griping that it was time to put in the ground troops – American ground troops, that is. Oh, what a difference a week makes! Now, it appears, the Taliban is broken, the "Northern Alliance" has marched victoriously into Kabul, and, as one news report put it:

"Afghans brought their radios out of hiding and played music in the streets, savoring the end of five years of harsh Taliban rule as the northern alliance marched triumphantly into Afghanistan's capital Tuesday."