Kabul
The West underestimated what it would take to rebuild Afghanistan, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said this week during a surprise visit to Kabul. Blair said that five years after the invasion, rapidly accelerating violence across the country shows that the war is not close to an end. “I think we are wiser now to the fact this is a generation-long struggle,” he said. “I am not saying we remain here in the same way for that length of time, but I am saying that overall the roots of the Taliban and al Qaida are deep.” Insurgents this year have been carrying out an average of 600 attacks a month on NATO or Afghan forces, compared with 130 a month last year.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.