Pulling Ahead of the Bad Guys

As Jeremy C Hunt, the Minister for Wogs, Frogs and Huns, struts through his role as honest broker between the Yemeni peace process and Britain's arms dealers, his preening will be augmented to the usual endearing effect by the UN's announcement of the latest phase of accomplishment in the mission to civilise Afghanistan. For the first time since the UN started keeping track, civilian casualties inflicted by the government and its chums in the international community outnumber those inflicted by the Taliban. Naturally, the methods of mission accomplishment reflect the cultural achievements of those involved: NATO-led forces attained a quarter of the total score, mostly through airstrikes, while Afghan government forces bagged a fifth, mostly via direct community involvement. It remains as yet unclear what degree of gratitude was expressed by the beneficiaries of this assertive democratisation.