Afghanistan and Libya

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John Murphy introduces personal stories and reflection from BBC correspondents around the world. In this edition, David Loyn reflects on the questions about aid and corruption in Afghanistan which have only been sharpened by the death of Burhanuddin Rabbani, while Andrew Harding has a tale of (thankfully minor) surgery in a multi-national hospital in Tripoli. Back to the future ... yet again The history of Afghanistan, at least in the last century and a half, has been one of foreign interventions and their failure - the British and the Russians are the notorious examples. The recent killing of the former Afghan President and leader of the Peace Council, Burhanuddin Rabbani, has only added to the fears that this latest international involvement is going the same way as the previous ones. Rabbani was deeply involved in trying to bring piece - yet his own career as a warlord illustrated all of the violent currents of Afghanistan's history since the end of the Cold War. David Loyn says the current battle must not simply be against the Taliban, but also against deep-seated corruption. A glimpse into a different Libya The National Transitional Council may now control most of Libya, but recent history has shown that military victories alone don't mean instant peace and stability. Libya's infrastructure has to be restored and kept working - water, electricity, rubbish disposal and healthcare, especially for ordinary citizens. If you are rich, though, you can usually find your way through the mess - even in wartime, as Andrew Harding discovered when he developed a stomach ache in the Sahara.