Afghanistan and Pakistan: More troops and money

But the same old problemsTHE opening move of Barack Obamas campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda was as successful as he could have wished. Just days after he unveiled a new policy to deal with extremists on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, nearly 90 countries and international bodies gathered in The Hague to support him. Delegates hailed the renewed, rejuvenated or re-energised American effort after seven years of ever more costly and dispiriting fighting. The most closely watched participant was Iran, the object of American courtship. It announced that, despite its dislike of the ineffective foreign forces in Afghanistan, it was fully prepared to help fight drugs-trafficking and rebuild Afghanistan. And Russia, with whom America wants to reset testy relations, said it could do more after allowing America to send non-military supplies to Afghanistan through its territory (France and Germany can send military kit). ...