Pat Hynes: A Primer on the Wars on Afghanistan and Pakistan

Pat Hynes published this primer of FAQs about these two wars. One thing that struck me was the section on public support for the wars:

"American support has seesawed. Prior to December 2009, more than half of Americans polled opposed the war in Afghanistan. However, public opinion on the war shifted after Obama's December 3 speech at West Point, according to The Washington Post/ABC News Poll. Fifty eight percent of those polled support the increase of troops being sent; the majority polled (55%) oppose a deadline for withdrawal; most (71%) expect troops to remain for many years, and the majority of the 71% support a long war; most (56%) think that the U.S. must win the war in Afghanistan for the war on terrorism to be a success."

My question here is what does it mean to win a war terrorism? It seems counter-intuitive to me.