[mlmpetert]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

A little off track here but an interesting reason why we could be there... screw oil they have lithium!

Massive Afghanistan Lithium Deposit (As In Batteries) Could Alter Nation's Economy

Lithium and other valuable minerals, but only for the Chinese and Russian:

China, Not U.S., Likely to Benefit from Afghanistan's Mineral Riches - DailyFinance

But its not like they dont have our back:

Karzai Says Afghanistan Would Back Pakistan If U.S. Attacks | Fox News

And to the point of this thread, the death toll saw significant increases in 2009 and 2010. 2011 looks to be pretty bad but should remain under 2010 levels:

iCasualties | OEF | Afghanistan | Fatalities By Year