For me, military action should always be the last option rather than the first. I have not been convinced that a military attack on Afghanistan - or on Iraq, for that matter - was ever the appropriate thing to do.

Do you remember that after 9/11 almost everyone in the world - including most Islamic nations - were willing to help in some way? The invasion of Afghanistan destroyed a lot of that good will. We'll never know what diplomacy could have achieved.

What we do know is that Islamic fundamentalism is stronger now than it was before the invasions, and another generaltion of Muslims is growing up hating the West.

This is blowback. We keep doing it to ourselves.

And no one has asked you to pay attention to my opinions - you chose to read my journal. You're free to stop whenever you want to.