On August 24, 2001, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith summarized his thoughts on Afghanistan to Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz: ” ‘The Taliban regime presents several threats to US national interests in the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and beyond:
*Harboring and supporting Usama bin Laden;
*Sponsoring insurgency in Uzbekistan;
*Opium production and trafficking;
*Condoning or perpetrating widespread human, ethnic, religious and gender abuses;
*Serving as a model for discontented populations of other Islamic states; and
*Impeding the advancement of a negotiated settlement to Afghanistan’s own civil war.
Options include maintaining the status quo, working to install a US-or coalition-backed government, backing the Northern Alliance, or recognizing the Taliban. All would require substantial regional support and entail significant diplomatic initiative.’ ”
– Douglas Feith, War and Decision, Page 570