Robert D Kaplan of the Center for New American Security has shown up the new, fascinating, global twists. I’m not sure I agree with his conclusion, but applaud him for encapuslating the conundrum.

“In Afghanistan’s Logar Province, just south of Kabul, the geopolitical future of Asia is becoming apparent: American troops are providing security for a Chinese state-owned company to exploit the Aynak copper reserves, which are worth tens of billions of dollars…….Afghanistan should be the very last place where we are a land-based meddler, caught up in internal Islamic conflict, helping the strategic ambitions of the Chinese and others.