Alex Massie Alex Massie

Redefining the war

Our aim in Afghanistan is no longer to secure victory but to avoid obvious defeat, says Alex Massie

issue 14 May 2011

There are more than 100,000 American and Allied troops in Afghanistan. That is, there are more than 1,000 troops for every suspected al-Qa’eda ‘operative’. Not for the first time in Afghanistan means, ways and ends appear to be out of kilter. There are more Nato troops than are needed to combat al-Qa’eda but not enough to build a proper, ordinary country.

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