Australia should certainly NOT have any involvement in Afghanistan.

Australia might be 'helping' the U.S., but the whole debacle is a NATO effort, and we have nothing to do with NATO.

The Howard Government was wrong to become involved, and the Rudd Government is wrong to continue the involvement and, worse, talk about sending more troops.

The Rudd Government is the more hypocritical because it was and is against involvement in Iraq, but is for involvement in Afghanistan. As far as Australia is concerned, there is no difference.

Rudd, of all people, should have learned from Iraq, but he insists on rabbiting on about how the Taliban 'must' be defeated. What rubbish! History and Afghan culture shows that there will always be trouble and strife in that country, and Australians should not be sent there to be killed.

Let the nutters themselves kill each other if that's what they want to do. They have a tradition of murdering each other.

A good article Marko

Its a complex mess indeed.

No easy solution. The Taliban would be aware that the West is negotiating out of desperation and exhaustion.

Therefore the Taliban can prolong these talks and reap any concessions forthcoming. It can graciously recieve more money - such as American money via Pakistan or even more Saudi money than Saudi private individuals are distributing already.

But paying the Taliban protection money will not ensure long term Taliban appreciation or toeing of the line.

Once the Western troops leave its back to business as usual with the ISI and Arab money manipulating the Taliban towards various outcomes - such as providing al Qaeda training bases.

What can Australia do?

Not much. We are seen by all sides in that theatre as a small American lackey - who also just shot a respected Governor (by mistake).

We stay in that country until America permits us to get out of that particular ANZUS obligation

Pete