Dear Diary: I have lunch at the White House today with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Joe Biden. I have warned the wait-staff to count Karzai's eating utensils, lest an engraved White House plate or spoon mysteriously vanish beneath the embroidered silken robe [Afghans are notoriously light of finger]. Biden needs a sharp eye kept on him, too, but a conventional suit offers less space for concealment. Our agenda was obviously topped by the practicalities of getting troops outta Talibanistan while we still maintaining a semblance of victory. Karzai will no doubt be making his own arrangements for exile. We know, of course, that the minute US boots leave the ground. the natives will resume their habitual warring and demolition of ancient artifacts. No Western journalist will dare remain to cover it all. Out of sight will be out of mind...and then we can forget the whole thing and, if we have to mention it at all, simply dismiss it as Bush's War.
