Force 'cannot solve Afghanistan'

Nato head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said he believes there is no military solution to the Afghan situation.

Mr Scheffer was speaking during talks in Pakistan on ways of containing the Taleban insurgency on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Violence in Afghanistan has returned to levels not seen since the Taleban were ousted in 2001.

The Empire is on the run. Mr. Scheffer has said something completely, staggeringly logical: but will he find sympathetic ears in Washington, or are we going to find that this administration is planning another "surge" to cure the problem?