From Bosnia to Afghanistan?

Amid rumours that Paddy Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, will take up a role as the international community's "super envoy" in Afghanistan, Gordon Brown has set out a new UK Afghan strategy. --- By many standards, Afghanistan's recent history is a story of progress. A progressive constitution has been adopted, elections have been held, and non-opium GDP grew at 8% in 2006. But the country is still at risk. Insurgents remain a threat, with violence reaching even the capital, Kabul. Reconstruction is uneven, the opium economy is growing and corruption is undermining the government. Rather than act, the president and parliament are locked in battle. Clearly, outright success is no longer possible. But it is still possible for Afghanistan to become a relatively stable, poor but developing, conservative Islamic democracy. So what should be done?