When the US and British militaries began to bomb Afghanistan as perceived retribution for 9/11 there were many who looked back at this nation’s history and felt this was an unnecessary misadventure that would  end unsatisfactorily.

There were also the pundits who justified the war against the Taliban: for General Guthrie, it met the  ‘just war’ criteria! Sir John Keegan, military historian, thought ‘orientals’ preferred treachery and deceit as the best ways to overcome an enemy!  Veteran Catholic economist Michael Novak, rationalised “that a limited and carefully conducted war to bring about a change of regime in Afghanistan was morally obligatory.”

All haughty assessments by those who should have known better.

The media reports documented in this dossier indicate it was a war where one side used disproportionate fire power resulting in great civilian casualties, the ‘orientals’ were determined and resolute,  and the war was not limited or carefully conducted. Sadly and tragicall Its effects and side-effects  linger on decades later. This archive makes salutary reading. It is based on limited quotations from media reports, with a link to the source in each case.