What will keep the trrorists at bay is a prolonged exposure to what western culture is all about.

The reason these people turn fundamentalist and follow the mad Mullahs is because they have bugger all else to do with their lives.

First off, as I said in my first post, we need to disempower the J-word.

Next, we need to make a concerted effort to get as many CD players as possible into the hands of the Afghans and saturate them with with as many recordings of Doc Watson as the factories can produce. Then, we export millions of cheap guitars along with Mel Bay books (translated into Pashtun).

Live concerts must be provided and western entertainers encouraged to go to Afghanistan and tour extensively. I can even envisage a Mudcat Band visiting there, led by kendall on guitar and vocals, Sorcha on fiddle and CarolC on accordion. Lordy, how the Afghans would love it.

On a fashion note, we need to start exporting turbans in red white and blue stripes, or perhaps plaid (each tartan representing a different tribe) in and ditto as regards burkhas.

Before the fall of Khabul, I would have been all for marketing designer knock-offs to these women, but, having seen pictures of them with their faces uncovered, today's fashion hint for Fatima is "Stick with the burkha, honey".

Military victories are all very well but it is only when we have won the hearts and minds of the people that we will truly know peace.

Murray, (TIC, for TWASOH)