Meanwhile, over there:

US forces have abandoned a small base in eastern Afghanistan that was the scene of an intense assault by Taleban fighters in which 9 US soldiers died. The base was quickly occupied by Taleban fighters after the departure of the US forces, according to local government officials.

Nato spokesmen confirmed that US forces pulled out of the base in Wanat village of Nuristan yesterday afternoon.

"We are confirming we have vacated our combat outpost at Wanat," Nato spokesman Mark Laity told The Times. "All these kinds of outposts are temporary. We will continue to maintain a strong presence in the area. We will continue to perform regular patrols in the area."

It looks like we're starting to reap the consequences of essentially outsourcing the fight in Afghanistan/Pakistan to NATO. It's amazing that that fight -- the real front in the war on terror -- has been neglected for so long, especially considering even President Bush concedes it's "probably true" the next attack will originate from there.