A good contribution to an important debate.

It would be good to see more writing on Middle-East policy by persons whose background and study qualifies them to put the issues in historical context and explain the relationships between the various players, which are often complex.

There has been nowhere near enough detailed coverage in the popular media of these matters, despite Australia’s long commitment to help the people of the region create democratic and responsible systems of government.

Max Atkinson

To even hold elections in a country with a history like Afghanistan is a huge step forward. No doubt there will be fraud but the same can be of said many others in southern Asia, some of whom have had ‘democracy ‘ for a lot longer than Afghanistan.

And, I think this is a bit of a furphy <<the warlords of the Northern Alliance - initially a creation of Russia, Iran and India …>> Afghan warlordism needed little outside nurturing.