President Bush says U.S. forces will stay in Afghanistan "for a while" -- securing the country, eradicating pockets of the Taliban, rounding up al Qaida cells, processing some 6,000 prisoners and continuing to search for Osama bin Laden.

"There's a lot to do," Bush told reporters Friday at an impromptu news conference with Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander of the Afghan operation. "And the American people just must understand when I said that we need to be patient, that I meant it, and we're going to be there for a while."

Franks went to the president's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas, to brief the chief executive on a trip to Afghanistan over the holidays. The president chose a moment in a tour of the ranch to meet with reporters and answer questions.

Bush dismissed bin Laden's most recent videotape as more propaganda.

"But one thing is for certain. He's on the losing side of a rout. And the other thing that's for certain is we're not going to stop until we get him and all those murderers that are associated with him," Bush said.

The president said the Army is sending "troops up into that region to take a look at some of the caves, to find out what's in there. And we're going to have to dig some of them out," he said.

-- What role should the United States play in a post-Taliban Afghanistan? How long should our troops remain in the country?

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Frustrated by smoking, over-eating and lack of exercise, many have vowed this week to change their behavior as of the first of the New Year.

But, if the past is any predictor, the treadmill will soon sit unused, the dietitian's phone calls will go unanswered and the cigarette runs to the gas station will gradually increase.

"Take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail," said Alan Marlatt, a researcher on resolutions and professor of psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle. "Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed."

According to Marlatt's research, 40 percent of those who achieve the top goal on their list of New Year's resolutions do so on the first try. Others often try again, with 17 percent eventually succeeding after as many as six attempts.

In his group of subjects, Marlatt found that more people made resolutions to start or increase a behavior, 222, than to eliminate or decrease a behavior, only 42. Of those studied, 65 percent made their resolutions between Dec. 28 and New Year's Day. The others made pledges that they considered to be New Year's resolutions as early as the previous May and as late as the end of January.

To be successful with personal resolutions, said Marlatt -- who has studied the subject for more than 20 years -- one must have a strong initial commitment to make a change. He also suggested having coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up and keeping track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do, Marlatt asserted.

One of the most important secrets to keeping those New Year's resolutions is to take the process of change one day at a time.

"If you can do just a little bit to get going, soon you'll feel the positive effects of the change," said Dr. Saundra Gilfillan, a Dallas psychiatrist. "And that little bit of change can lead to long-term healthy habits that last far beyond New Year's Day."

-- Have you made any New Year's resolutions for 2002? If so, what are they and what steps are you taking to ensure you stick to them? If not, why not?

(Thanks to UPI's Bruce Sylvester in West Palm Beach, Fla.)

CHARTER SCHOOLS

With federal education reform legislation awaiting President Bush's signature, the question of whether innovations such as charter schools and vouchers are the answer to what is seen as the crisis in education in America remains.

It's been nearly 10 years since Minnesota became the first state to pass legislation authorizing charter schools -- educational operations that are not bound by the same rules as traditional public schools. Since then, 37 more states have authorized the development of charter schools and currently 2,063 are operating in 34 of them, with 518,609 students enrolled. Arizona boasts the most charter schools with 416 and an enrollment of 94,759 students while California has the most students enrolled in such operations -- 121,598 students attending 302 charter schools. Minnesota has 9,411 students enrolled in 68 charter schools.

The theory behind charter schools is that if schools are freed of regulatory restrictions, innovation will abound and the resulting competition will improve the overall quality of education.

The Rand Corp. earlier this month issued a report saying it's too early to determine whether charter schools and taxpayer-supported voucher programs are helping students. But the study found there is no evidence students from low-income areas are doing any better in charter schools than in traditional public schools.

In Ohio, only 5 percent of the state's fourth-grade charter school students passed the state proficiency test in March 2000 -- half the rate at which Cincinnati Public Schools students passed the test and less than a sixth of the statewide rate of 31 percent. State officials maintain, however, it is still too early to judge the programs, which have only been in operation since 1998. They say such programs need at least five years to mature. Ohio has 68 charter schools, enrolling 18,081 students, mostly in areas considered in "academic emergency."

Tests scores in Michigan and Texas also show charter school students lagging and Texas has imposed a two-year moratorium on adding to the 165 charter schools it already has in operation.

University of California, Berkeley, education professor Bruce Fuller said it appears charter schools are beset by the same problems that plague public schools.

Both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have expressed reservations about such schools. Not all states require charter schools to employ certified teachers or give the same standardized tests to which students in other public schools are subjected. The AFT recommends charter schools be based on high academic standards, be required to give the same standardized tests as public districts, cover employees with collective bargaining agreements, hire certified teachers, obtain the approval of local school districts and make information available to the public.

-- What do you think?

(Thanks to UPI's Marcella S. Kreiter in Chicago)