[pierrem15]

More British press hysteria: most of those killed have been talebunnies.

The real problem is the crackdown on the opium trade which is putting the drug runners' money on the side of the Taleban. We should just buy the opium at the market price; or, preferably push the price higher than what the market will bear so as little opium as possible reaches outside Afghanistan-- it's cheaper than warfare, or paying the social and medical costs of cheap heroin in the developed world and spreads a lot of cash around Arghanistan.

[Cicero]

This is not entirely surprising. Afghanistan has been corrupt, tribal, and unruleable for the entire course of known history. I'm not sure what the solution is, if there is any, but pouring in money certainly won't help.

The Taliban assassinated the one man who might have had the stature to deal with this situation before the invasion.

[Southack]

600 Taliban killed in two weeks, versus fewer than two dozen Afghan civilians and troops killed...yet the news media goes into "Sky is falling" hysterics as if the Taliban was/were winning by setting off 1 bomb a month.

Sheesh...

[confrico]

There's a solution alright... More manpower, which would mean fewer casualties and greater security. But the political will from the rest of the world just isn't there. And yeah, alot of that is because of the hysterical media Southack is talking about.

[misterrob]

This is becoming a mess in part because Karzai is a puppet of the US instead of a take charge leader who would be an effective partner in the war against the Taliban and AQ.

Fire his ass and start over.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

More than 600 Afghans have been killed in the past six weeks in the south, where about 6,000 American, Canadian and British troops under Nato are fighting the Taliban. Afghans remember that this is about the same rate of deaths as in 1992-93 during the civil war that ushered in a Taliban takeover.

how many of those 600 have been TALIBAN FIGHTERS.....duh!

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Hamid Karzai has criticised the West's refusal to help his government with more money and troops earlier on."

The list of commonalities between liberals and Muslims just keeps growing.

[pissant]

Sounds just like the NY Times. Mischaracterizing the situation, on purpose. The dead he is referring to have been the dead taliban from a new offensive in the south.

Get a clue you worthless limey pantywaists.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Five years after the West promised to rebuild Afghanistan, the country is facing its worst crisis since the Taliban was overthrown."

The 800 pound gorilla everyone has to pretend not to notice: IT'S STILL A MUSLIM COUNTRY.

FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY ARE ANTI-ISLAMIC CONCEPTS.

NO Islamic country will EVER be successful except in the eyes of the religious leaders who are getting their every whim met at whatever cost to every other member of the society is required.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Nation building is expensive.