In an article in last month’s issue of Défense nationale et sécurité collective entitled ‘The Afghan nightmare: an update’, the author showed how NATO action in Afghanistan is missing the point: the drugs war. He highlighted the way in which the Americans and their allies have taken the wrong track to the point of alienating a population initially well disposed towards them. The Atlantic Alliance is caught up in an interventionist spiral, and we have to ask ourselves what we are fighting for in Afghanistan. The answer to that question will tell us whether the operation should be maintained, with the sacrifices that that will entail, or whether NATO should withdraw to allow other forces to take over.