Still Britain rattles sabres. Nothing has been learned from Afghanistan | Simon Jenkins

As we 'withdraw' from Afghanistan across the Taliban's golden bridge, we could be heading for catastrophe over Iran

The Afghan war, the longest in US history, is "scheduled to end" a year early, according to the Pentagon. Wars these days run to electoral timetables. The endgame is couched not as victory, let alone defeat, but as "expedited withdrawal".

It is obvious that Taliban commanders are reading Sun Tzu, and "building the enemy a golden bridge across which to retreat". They are talking...