Americas' Second Viet Nam

As the American military body count passes 1,000 dead the Senate is beginning to realise that they just cannot win this Afghan War. Like the Russians before them and the British in the 18th century they just can't win against indigenous tribesmen who wear no uniforms.

In Viet Nam the Americans had the same problem. An enemy could be wandering round in or near their fortified bases and then return to their NVA Unit with all the intel on strength and disposition.

Currently the Senate are discussing, another new spending Bill for $59 billion of which $33.5 billion is for the Afghan War. Some Washington experts are beginning to wake up and smell the coffee putting forward the view that the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Nobel prize winning economist,Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard professor, Linda Bilmes, estimate that the Iraq War plus care of the wounded and re building the military will cost $3 trillion and the War in Afghanistan, calculated on similar lines, will come to £1.5 to $2 trillion. These two are no light weights. Questions are beginning to be asked "why is the money not being spent at home?"

They really are in a no win situation, yet again, throwing money down the toilet.