Larry Ejima hit the nail on the head in his Nov. 8 letter, "Aid to Afghanistan a nonstarter." It's bad enough that the United States continues to pour billions in money and liters in blood in that war-wounded country, to realistically achieve what, when? For Japan to contribute even one yen to the mission is a waste.
It took Alexander the Great three years to get a handle on Afghanistan, but the handle was slippery. Ditto for the Soviets. As noted by Ejima, the $4 billion of intended aid to Afghanistan would be better spent if invested in Japan's people and economy.
michael g. driver