Can NATO Hold Off the Taliban in Afghanistan?

Poland will send another 1,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, where NATO commanders have asked for more troops to face the Taliban's brutal resurgence. But, while the need on the ground is immediate, the Polish soldiers won't arrive until February of next year. While there is there's no evidence yet of any "direct link" between the Taliban and the insurgency in Iraq, in addition to suicide bombers and IED's, Afghanistan is seeing assassinations of government officials and other civilians as well as increased used of guerilla tactics. What's happened to the democracy established after the US invasion? Has a lack of follow-up by the western powers shattered Afghan expectations? What's the role of Pakistan?