The US bombs that killed seven Afghan children during the weekend not only snuffed out innocent lives but also harmed the west's cause in Afghanistan. Civilian casualties are inevitable in any conflict, but Afghanistan is both a war of attrition and a battle for hearts and minds. Right now, there is a risk of the offensive against al-Qaeda and the Taliban losing balance.

Just a few days before the bombs, Nato's defence ministers had gathered in Brussels to examine how to deal with the civilian casualties that now dominate news of the Afghan conflict. Yet the deaths in the madrassa in Paktikah province sent a more powerful message than any western expression of concern.