Will some one just tell me what are we in Afghanistan for, and WHY? Get our troops out NOW.

This is paying the Taleban to kill our forces. This would have been classes as treason, it still should be.

Anne, West Midlands, England

I am truly sickened by this story, I mean really saddened and ashamed...
In WW1 or WW2 this would have been considered as 'consorting with the enemy'. Why does nobody do or say anything about this? Meanwhile Gordon Brown visits Afghanistan shaking the hands of brave servicemen. SHAME ON YOU GORDON!

Ian Williams, Aldershot, UK

Its the same old story of international organizations. If they have to bribe to give succour to the hungry and the needy, should they go there at all, without a strong army?

Acharya, Bengaluru, India

This is a naive article and doesn’t detail the complexities of Afghanistan. It is often impossible to distinguish between tribesmen and Taliban. To operate in a tribe’s area it is necessary to gain permission, usually involving a payment to tribal elders. No payment and your convoy WILL be attacked.

HC, Kabul, Afghanistan

Beyond all reason.
Paying bribes to fight an Illegal War.

Mr Blonde, Afjiord , NORGE

Good for the war mongers, and profiteers. The intentions is for the war to last as long as possible. War contractors make 100X more than normal ways of earnings.

Shame on all that have created misery for the Afghan people for the past 30yrs, especially the past 7, Taliban are soldouts.

Mike, Georgia, USA

Then why not just pay the Taliban not to fight us directly?

Eric Skelton, Cardiff, Wales

Maybe lying to peoples in the West is the solution. The money is lost .

moummh, Alex, EGYPT

Nato is fighting this "war" in Afghanistan on the terms and good will of it's enermy. Crazy? I is clear, from what i just read that it is in the wider interest of those fighting Nato and its Christian allies for the war to continue maybe for ever in Afghanistan. Fits their stragic plan.

Chris, Sydney , Australia

So, ultimately NATO pays extortion money to the enemy? No less, to ensure passage of own military supplies... It reminds me of Pratchett books; Thieves Guild sells insurance against theft. Or Heller's "Catch 22". Life indeed imitates fiction...

Mladen, Helsinki, Finland

Maybe we should pay them not to fight!

Alex, London,

Every one needs money and as long as there's money there would never be any peace and harmony between any nations. If were were to negotiate with them to assure protection from them, this matter will just keep comming back then they could request for a higher wager over time.

RJ, romford, england

Why don't we just get out of this country which is totally corrupt and has never changed.
This is a no win situation and we should save the lives of our soldiers and save a lot of money as well.

Ken, Orpington, Kent

It is the old story over again. Will the Brits and rheir pals never learn?

Brian P O Cinneide, eThekwini, Afrika Borwa

so basically they're giving money to fund an army that they are supposed to be fighting?
unbelievable. is this pure stupidity or is the defence industry profiting so much?

ayla, london,

We pay for our guns, we pay the Taleban to let our guns through, they use that money to buy their guns, and then we kill each other with those guns. So we loose our soldiers, our guns and our money to faithless buffoons (ie the Taleban). Absurd.

Farrukh, Woking,

The previous British occupation of Afghanistan went swimmingly just as long as we continued to pay off the local tribes. ISAF should have been paying 'convoy protection' money to locals (not Taleban) to begin with rather than letting civvy contractors get slaughtered and the Taleban earn some cash.

David Burke, Manchester, UK

I thought we were supposed to be killing them, not paying them a salary.

Alastair Johnson, Alicante, Spain

Andrew, There is no God but money.
God's have always been expendable and our morality negotiable, yet, no matter who or how important, we still pray at the altar of cash.

Joe, Geelong, VIC Australia

Indian I.T off-shoring ethos.
They break the systems whilst being paid because they are less capable than the previous employees, and then they are paid to fix the mess. Win Win.

Same seems to apply here. Attack, paid not to attack, more assets and desire to attack again. Self fulfilling profecy

Joe, Geelong, VIC Australia

It might just be cheaper in blood and money to just buy off all the Taliban and associated gangs to lay down their arms and stay home, in return for an annual salary.
They can fund the transport of goods and food to their areas. The US and NATO soldiers can go home.
Not a winnable war by this route.

Gunther Steinberg, Porrtola Valley CA, USA

Andrew, even if the whole world were socialist they'd still pay protection money to the Taleban for safe passage. Everyone needs oil regardless. Unless some whiz kid at MIT comes up with a way to run the world without fossil fuels, we're stuck with what we have. Until then...

Heather Czerniak, Milwaukee, USA

It looks like the Taliban have taken a leaf out of Ken Livingston's book.

Paul Hatch, Axbridge,

Capitalism at its best! Mind you, that's the whole reason we're there: to secure gas pipe routes to Asia - for capitalism. Does anybody on earth still believe wars are fought over religion or for freedom? Get real! Capitalism is the religion the whole world believes in.

Andrew, Godalming, UK

For Nato to state about the transport "how they got them into the country was their business", is a complete sell out. What exactly are the Taleban using this money to do? Attack our troops is the answer, in part at least. This is a disgrace. There should be an investigation and it should be stopped

Brendan Woodhouse, Nottingham, United Kingdom