What message is that? Would it have been better for him to die like so many others - teachers, schoolchildren - bombed from on-high by our brave boys - and for their deaths to be celebrated by The Independent as a blow against “militants”?

And of course the taliban were so much more humane when they fought the Russians with our money. I guess we had to oppose them now they’ve changed …

jb says: Hi Steve, don’t interpret my comment as an endorsement for the wholesale bombing of Afghanistan. I’ve never supported that policy. The ‘message’ I was referring to was, I suppose, rather complex . . . but included the notion that conservative forces will go to almost any lengths to avoid even a small degree of change, irrespective of whether that benefits an enormous section of the population.

One can only feel for the civilian population of that country, bullied and harassed by both the Taliban and foreign troops.