without the tied-in contributing countries. Apart from the lack of will to fund such a giant life support scheme, corruption would likely dwarf that found in the EU version. Nato has plunged headfirst into Afghanistan with no clear view on what to do even assuming an improbable military success. Any realistic assessment of our prospects there would start with the desired political and economic end points and try to determine if they could ever be reached, even hypothetically. People with half a brain surely know from the outset that military involvement in Afghanistan is really all about ensuring the encirclement of Iran. That's also why the military will continue to remain in Iraq. It's also the underlying reason for new missile sites in eastern Europe. Nothing will change this side of the next U.S. Presidential election and probably not afterwards either. We need to get out of Iraq, transfer maximum force to Afghanistan, locate everyone in the so-called tribal areas of the south who carries a gun, and either disarm or kill him. The rules of engagement should be changed to allow hot pursuit into Pakistan. The more of these pathological fanatics with their twisted oppressive views we can kill, the better. Maybe Afghanistan's women will end up runnng the place. It would hep if the Germans could rediscover their warrior prowess and get with the programme. Even the French would be welcome if they could point their guns at the right people. But the Italians are too beautiful to