Two Views of Afghanistan

Major Mehar Omar Khan of the Pakistani Army thinks we are trying to do too much there. Afghanistan has never been governable as a country, so why do we think we can change the situation. We're better off focusing on much smaller areas and making them work well and enlisting the aid of the Pashtuns to make it happen.

Helena Cobban brings up the question of China as it relates to Afghanistan. In her view China has benefited enormously from our dalliances in both Iraq and Afghanistan. She quotes from a recent article by someone fairly high up in the Chinese government. The writer thinks the UN is much better able to handle the situation than the Western coalition is.