Through the Afghan quagmire

THE war in Afghanistan has hardly been the walkover the US-led forces expected when they invaded in 2001. Since then, about 1500 coalition soldiers have been killed. Among Australia's 1550-strong force, 11 have died. Yet defeat of the Taliban seems as far off as ever. As this shapes up as another bloody year, an international conference of almost 70 nations gathered in London last Thursday trying to find new ways to end the morass. Called by Gordon Brown, Britain's Prime Minister, the conference was a belated recognition that the West's goals in Afghanistan will never be achieved by military means alone.