If the US's Nato allies really want an excuse to get out of Afghanistan, Gates has just handed them one on a plate.  Probably too much to hope that Brown might want to distance himself from Blair over this one.  As demonstrated in Charlie Wilson's Democrat War (the one that didn't lead on to 9/11) the US strategy was to bleed the Soviets dry by giving them their own Vietnam.  It seems to be having the same effect on the Bush Leadership intellectual capabilities at the moment.

Index of Frank's Diaries