Britain is sending a further 4000 troops to Helmand province at the direct request of the US defence secretary. The US has committed a brigade of marines plus up to 10,000 additional other troops.

The question is how long will they be there?

A surge won't work for the simple reason that surge implies a short term fix and Afghanistan is a long term problem.

Afghanistan has always been a long term problem and the answer to that is political and not just military.

The Afghan army is probably the way forward but, since and unlike Iraq, there wasn't one originally this is going to take some time.

By all accounts the Afghan police force is still corrupt and more of a problem than solution.

Yes, more foreign troops are needed, and especially those whose governments will allow them to fight.

Something has to be done to stop the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. More troops on the ground will obviously help.

However, more foreign troops also has its own problems, especially if that is all to the big plan.

At what stage does this "war on terror" in Afghanistan morph into yet another Afghan colonial war, or at least in the eyes of the ordinary Afghans?

How many taliban are fighting the western troops for the simple reason that their fathers fought the Russians and their great-grandfathers fought the British? (As did their great great grandfathers).

The US might be fighting in Afghanistan because of 9/11 but how many Afghans know anything about that or the terrorist training camps that the taliban allowed to be set up?

Aren't we in danger of becoming just the latest in a long line of "invaders".

However this this all skirting around the main issue that is sinking Afghanistan, that of the Afghan political leadership. (Or lack of it)

Karzai might be a pin up boy for the west but, after all this time and money, does his government actually control any part of Afghanistan other than a few big cities?

Government corruption is rife.

Kaplan says that more money should be put into Afghanistan. Perhaps a better question would be to ask what result all the money currently going in actually achieves?

PS> War on Pakistan? I assume that Kaplan was being ironic. The Pakistani government has little control over the remote tribal regions that border Afghanistan, despite having large numbers of troops there.

What's the US going to do about these regions? Invade or put their faith in drones and cruise missiles?