The Associated Press grimly reports that "Insurgents have staged more than 130 suicide attacks" in Afghanistan this year. Something called the "Global Islamic Media Front" is demanding that Germany and Austria withdraw from Afghanistan. "NATO's shortfalls holding back progress in Afghanistan," declare the Canadian media. On top of all that, we are reminded daily of Pakistan's imminent explosion or implosion, which, by my count, we've been bracing for since October 2001. But there is other news from the Afghanistan front -- news that's not making it into the morning papers, at least not onto the front page. Resisting intense and widespread public opposition, the German parliament has voted overwhelmingly to extend its military's participation in the Afghanistan stabilization operation. This means that Washington's behind-the-scenes diplomacy has paid off -- and that 3,000 German troops will stay in Afghanistan. Now the diplomats and generals need to persuade or cajole or shame Berlin into venturing beyond the relative safety of northern Afghanistan.
Amidst the Gloom, Some Good News From Afghanistan
