I have just started reading Carlo D'Este's book: 'Warlord: The Fighting Life of Winston Churchill From Soldier to Statesman'. On page seventy-eight D'Este quotes from a letter from Churchill to his grandmother. The year is 1897, Churchill has been fighting in Afghanistan as part of Sir Bindon Blood's Malakand Field Force. It is worth quoting:
"I wish I could come to the conclusion that all this barbarity - all these losses - all this expenditure - had resulted in a permenent settlement being obtained, I do not think however that anything has been done - that will not have to be done again."
Written in 1897 I suspect Churchill might be disappointed to learn how correct he was. A lot of blood has been spilt and money has been spent since 1897 reinforcing Churchill's doubts.
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