I thought we were fighting the good battle in Afghanistan

To many European politicians and commentators, the war in Afghanistan was the war they initially supported, especially in the short lived "standing shoulder to shoulder" period following 9/11. The war in Iraq by contrast was considered to be a huge mistake, one that had resulted in us neglecting our duty in Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, it seems that Europeans have now changed their mind and have no stomach for Afghanistan either.

So it was heartening to read Polly Toynbee in the Guardian. I never thought I'd find myself agreeing with her. Boris Johnson accurately described her as the "the high priestess of our paranoid, mollycoddled, risk-averse, airbagged, booster-seated culture of political correctness and 'elf 'n' safety fascism" but at least she understands the importance of staying the course in Afghanistan.