Afghanistan

A country where parliament has a role in sentencing a journalist to death for blasphemy is hardly likely to be open to the ministrations of one of the greatest liberals in the past few decades.  Coupled with the thought of having to shore up the ailing powerbase of former oil man and Bush placeperson Karzai, I reckon Paddy's had a lucky escape this time, despite his obvious enthusiasm and qualifications for the role he was set up for.

I reckon we may as well pull our troops out of Afghanistan.  If the Afghan government doesn't think they areworking for them the last ting we want is years, perhaps decades, of bogged down forces losing British boys and girls for a country that doesn't want us there.

So Lord "Paddy" Ashdown has apparently accepted the job as UN high representative in Kabul:

The former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, has agreed to become the United Nations' envoy to Afghanistan, a source close to negotiations on the post said today.
"Yes, he has accepted the job," the source told the Reuters news agency, speaking of an agreement between Ashdown, 66, and the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon.

Ashdown, a former soldier, had been seeking a strengthened mandate for the post, to become more deeply involved in coordinating efforts to combat a Taliban insurgency and guide reconstruction.

Hardly what I would choose as a retirement job.  I guess it's true what they say about old soldiers!  Good luck to him.  I disagree with our presence there, but I can't think of anyone better to try to put it right.