Less Good News

     Did someone say we've won in Afghanistan?  Here are some (perhaps surprising) facts from Afghanistan as gleaned from the Brookings Institute's Afghanistan Index.  This document changes regularly, and I am relying the current version as of today.

• Deaths from Militant Related Violence
  

  2004	850
  2005	1200+

• Non-Afghan Troops in Afghanistan
  

  	Total	US only
  Sept 2002	12,500	7,800
  Sept 2003	14,800	9,800
  Sept 2004	26,000	18,000
  Sept 2005	32,400	20,000

• People in Need of Food Aid
  

  2003	20%
  2004	37%

     Their GDP is growing, but I bet the opium multiplier effect has a lot to do with it.  The government took their eyes off the ball.