Quagmiritis

So, a House of Commons report suggests that 'Afghanistan might "implode" with "terrible consequences" if more international troops are not sent'

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan a poll says

'64 percent say the country is heading in the right direction.'

and

'64 percent say they rarely or never worry about their personal safety, while under the Taliban only 36 percent felt that way.'

In the light of this contrast, how are we to view the same MP's report's equally gloomy conclusions on Iraq?

Hmm- unless, of course, you don't get to make the contrast because no-one reports the news. Considering the BBC gave a high profile to the Commons' report, you'd think they'd make the effort when the poll comes from a specifically pro-Democrat polling group.

Nope- not in the script it would seem.

I have a feeling that what Craig Charney says of the Afghans his group polled is a very telling comment, not on the coalition military who have done what they can in the circumstances- often very well- but on the defeatist media and the infectious anti-war mentality:

'"Many people said, 'Thank you for asking,' " he said. "No one's ever asked."

On the one hand, questions never asked, and on the other circumstances that appear to western eyes to improve, if at all, at intolerably slow rates. Something tells me many of our people never wanted to be doing this.

It takes Mark Steyn, I suppose, to tell these guys to buck up and get on with it.