Losing the good war?

The unstable military situation in Afghanistan has prompted a debate among several European countries about the risks of stationing troops in the Hindu Kush. Political expert José Ignacio Torreblanca comments in El País newspaper: "Can one win the bad war and lose the good one? Afghanistan was always the good war, while Iraq was the bad one. The first [war] was justified by the Taliban and the terrorist threat, the second was based on lies and dubious goals. ... But now we are facing a conundrum: the bad war is going well while the good one is a disaster. ... Europeans have two options: either each nation acts on its own or they act together. ... A united Europe could serve to convince Washington that, like in Iraq, it would be wise to choose a political and non-military solution that gives Afghans the responsibility for their own future and provides them with the necessary tools. But to do this we must stop thinking about withdrawal."

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