The forgotten war

There is a war on. Not in Libya but in Helmand, where nearly 9,000 British troops are fighting. Last year was in fact the deadliest of more than nine years of war for Afghan civilians, the United Nations has just reported.

You would not know it, though. For the events in North Africa have almost removed the issue entirely from the newspapers. When Hamid Karzai came through London recently, his visit barely registered. What a change from only half a year ago when every one of his idiosyncratic utterances would be replayed and over-analysed.  

Most popular

Matthew Lynn

Spain will regret its 100 per cent expat property tax

This may not be an altogether bad thing. Too much 24-hour coverage can make it a lot harder for people to get on with their jobs. When I was in Iraq, I remember people talking about “Washington time” and “Baghdad time”.