NEW WARS

Spock wouldn't have been confused. The Spaceship Enterprise would have heard his words ring through the control room.

"It's war Jim, but not as we know it", Spock would have said.

Hence the following meditation in the Canberra Times . . .

CHANGING MISSIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

The Mission in Afghanistan has changed. It is no longer to defeat the Taliban. Now we're concentrating on Al Quaeda.

This is because we can't defeat the Taliban . . . but that's another story.

This article was published in the Canberra Times on the weekend . . .

PAKISTAN MUST BE INVOLVED FOR THE SOLUTION TO WORK

This is simply recognising reality. There can be no purely military solution to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.

Regardless of what actually happens on the ground in that landlocked country, the need is to involve Pakistan in working towards fixing the situation.

Otherwise, as their column seeks to point out, failure is guaranteed . . .

PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN

It's no use simply repeating that Pakistan is part of the problem in Afghanistan. It has to be incorporated as part of the answer as well.

The West is not doing this. This column makes the argument that at least part of the reason for this is that our politicians are too interested in their own domestic agendas and re-election campaigns . . .

PAKISTAN'S REACTION TO AUSTRALIA'S POSTURING

Sorry, I've gotten a bit behind while attempting to keep the filing of columns up. This News story ran on Monday 28th March . . .

SPY GAMES

In the years of Empire the European powers sought to extend their grip over central Asia. This rivalry quickly became known as "the great game".

In Islamabad it still sometimes appears as if the new powers are playing out their own spy novel fantasy thrillers, without regard for the people of the region.

This was my take from Islamabad . . .