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By Ray Fleming

SUDDENLY, yesterday afternoon, 2014 seemed a long, long way away. How many more Taliban attacks will the US, UK and NATO forces have to endure before the date for final withdrawal is reached? Yesterday's co-ordinated attacks on the US Embassy, NATO HQ in Kabul and Afghanistan government offices took place in the most intensely protected central area of Kabul. The “ring of steel” has caused such traffic delays that US Ambassador Ryan Crocker has complained about it but was somehow porous enough to admit a small group of heavily armed Taliban militants.

The familiar clichés of Hillary Clinton and the long delayed statement of condemnation from President Karsai only served to underline the hopelessness of the present situation and the likelihood that it will get worse rather than better. Is it remotely possible that in the two years remaining the resourcing and training of Afghanistan security forces will make them capable of securing Kabul against the Taliban on January 1, 2015?

The front page headline of the Times on Monday was “US backs ´Taliban embassy´ in move to end 10-year war”. It was about “bringing the Taliban in from the cold” to begin peace talks. There are many branches of Taleban and agreement with one will not guarantee it with another. To all intents and purposes the 10-year war is lost.