As the writer indicates Afghanistan has become a more dangerous place over the last six years. This is due to

- the Taliban improving their strategy and tactics,

- a reversal of secular laws and Afghan government policies in favour of Islamic fundamentalist laws and policies which severely limits democracy as well as woman's lifestyle and opportunities

- reliance on an illegitimately elected Karzai Government which has little power outside the Kabul city limits. And even Kabul is increasingly disrupted by Taliban suicide insurgents (ignored by the author)

- manifest inability of the Afghan army and police to handle the insurgency or even remain sober (they notoriously drug themselves up while stumbling into battle)

- an open border with Pakistan to replenish Taliban and Al Qaeda manpower,

- and, an opium poppy economy that has never had it so good. Opium is the major cash crop of the country. Even members of the Afghan Parliament (many of whom are Warlords) rely on opium revenue and bribes.

Is the author recommending (its unclear what she's recommending) a massive increase in Western troop number or a continued occupation to honour western troops memory (a la Vietnam). If so this is a recipe for perpetual foreign occupation and perpetual war.

A targeted counter-terrorist approach would be preferable to the discredited large army counter-insurgency approach.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/afghanistan-differing-indian-and.html

This excellent article seems to be at odds with the story told by Gillard and Carr. Such people are lying through their teeth and they tend to spend a lot of time in Canberra, which is like a Political Disneyland.

I feel sad for the Australians who died in Afghanistan and Iraq, both monumental failures. They died in vain, pawns in the West's political games.

Never mind, we can try again in Iran where there will be a lot more bodies.

Silly humans!

Some good points - perhaps.
But lets not pretend that we invaded Afghanistan (or anywhere else too) to "save" the poor suffering people who live there.

A sad and moving illumination of a context so far removed from our contented daily lives. Much to ponder.

It seems clear that the US, NATO, UN, Allied strategy applied here, as also in other quarters, is flawed. The endeavour to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan and Iraq, as previously in Vietnam, has been a dismal failure. Time to rethink. China alternatively has been moving quietly providing aid and infrastructure development in many quarters, with some positive indicators that it is winning hearts and minds, by improving lives. A better model.

>Had the money been spent properly could it have transformed the lives of ordinary Afghans instead of enriching the corrupt?<

A valid and worthy question, with an obvious answer.

One must now question whether our Western style of democracy is the universal panacea it purports to be, or whether another alternative may be more effective, depending on context and circumstance. What that might be, however, I cannot fathom, save that it must respect the best of the culture and traditions of the nation and peoples to which it is applied. Big guns do not, and will not win. Better honey than vinegar.

Is the solution for Afghanistan for the West to legalise heroin, or to find and support another effective economic base to ensure this nation's future prosperity? Without such a base, what future can there be, but a return to warlords preying upon the masses, Sharia law, and the spread of Islamic fundamentalism throughout the region?

Heidi, a thoroughly good piece, thank you. In my humble opinion we (Australia) should never have gone into the country. To me, it was simply Vietnam revisited. Been there, done that ! And that little escapade was a total failure.

Now we've deployed to Afghanistan we should by necessity stay there...all of us. I believe that when the US and their allies do go, effectively removing all the military muscle from the country, the Taliban will once again come down into the villages and towns right into Kabul, and again rain terror down upon the heads of the general population.

Yet if we DO stay, the 'war' will break us, both in spirit and economically. I really don't know.

There was a report in todays paper which described how, unfortunately for everyone in Afghanistan, the vicous taliban thought/dress/behavior police are already beginning to (again) monster any and every one who transgresses their strict entirely joyless puritanical codes of what is acceptable.

Unfortunately their is nothing we can do about it. And the taliban have plenty of time too.