The checklist

Bomb country - check (all done)
Oust Taliban - check (all done)
Hunt down ‘bin Laden - in progress
Rebuild country - behind schedule

One woman dies from pregnancy-related causes approximately every 30 minutes. One in five children dies before the age of five from diseases that are 80% preventable.

An estimated one-third of the population suffers from anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress. Annual per capita income is $190 (£100). Average life expectancy is 44.5 years. Its education system is now “the worst in the world”.

Victory may have been declared over the Taliban, Afghanistan may have an elected leader, and some aspects of the country may be looking up - but the job is a long way from finished and it is important that the western world doesn’t allow the Afghan people to languish in the “success” we hear about on those rare occasions when Afghanistan is mentioned by a western leader. If they do we can anticipate the necessity of doing it all over again….. don’t you think that Joe Blow Afghani has had quite enough of that since 1979?