As American troops die in greater numbers in Afghanistan last month than in Iraq, it is good to hear some words of appreciation from our man in Kabul, on whose behalf our boys are shedding their young blood.

If you are in the mood for some black humour, read and weep as Karzei spills the beans as to who are the really corrupt ones in Afghanistan: us.
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Madam President?:
Government Report, Democrats, Accuse Bush of Violations for Missing Anti-terror Plans By Rob Hager
April 22, 2008

The Democratic Congress has declined to make the executive branch accountable for all the various laws that the Bush-Cheney gunslingers have broken since 2001 in the only way it can: impeachment. In the calculation of Democrat vote-counters, the inevitably unsuccessful impeachment proceedings might cost them the margin of victory in 2008. They fear voters may see impeachment as the kind of divisive and diversionary party politics that the Republicans displayed when the tables were reversed. Meanwhile we all have to take the chance that the incompetents in charge will do no more irreversible damage to the national security, economy and Constitution of the United States before adult supervision is restored to the executive branch.
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Title, Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Making: A Study of Pakistan’s Post 9/11 Afghan Policy
Author Ijaz Khan
Publisher Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA
The book studies Pakistan’s Strategic Culture and Foreign Policy Decision–Making process with the help of Prof. Karl Deutsch’s Streams of Information Model and explains how and so why Pakistan made the decision to support Taliban, then why and how, in the wake of 9/11, it changed that policy, noting the difficulties it is facing as a result of the changed Afghan Policy. It is argued that Pakistan’s support for Taliban was a result of its strategic culture that had developed over years, that saw religious extremist forces as good and reliable tools of policy, more precisely its security policy. Thus all its domestic perceptions were woven around Pakistan’s establishment belief that Taliban serves Pakistan’s regional security interests best. The change resulting in abandoning of Taliban was more a result of external inputs which conflicted with its long held security perceptions which continues to be unchanged for most part. Thus one notes a growing crisis of state and society and more importantly of international credibility as long as Pakistan’s role in the ‘War against Terrorism’ is concerned as pro Taliban Policy continues to be viewed as a better option in a wide range of establishment intelligentsia, not just the religious extremists. The book ends with suggestions how and where to change Pakistan’s decision making process by changing its strategic culture, as required by Pakistan’s announced change in its Foreign/Afghan Policy. The study helps in understanding Pakistan’s role in the ‘War against Terrorism’ addressing issues of capabilities as well as willingness.
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