These news about bribing Talibans in Afghanistan are based on an article of the British ‘Times’. You have to know that the Anglosaxon press does not miss any occasion for throwing mud on Italy and even for trying to delegitimize the Italian government. The Times about 2 months ago accused the Italians of paying off Talibans to avoid bloody fighting. This charge was not only rejected by Italians, but also not confirmed by the French army. Money was very likely always been used by Italians and other NATO members to obtain information and to improve relations with local people; perhaps the former Italian leftist pacifist-oriented government was particularly unwilling to have its soldiers engaged in battles rather than in civil reconstruction. The trend under the present government seems to have a bit changed and paying off the enemy is even less likely. I do not know how the Afghan expedition will end up, but the American and the British do not have to lay the responsibility of a defeat on their allies, especially after it became widely known (and confirmed in a more reecent article of the Times) that now the American and British generals openly recommend to their officers to give money to Talibans for improving the situation. As for Russia, I do not think it is good for Russia that Afghanistan remains a destabilized area and a good ground for terrorists. I think also that it is wrong, for a blind antiamerican hatred, to idealize islamic countries such as Afghanistan or Iran, where an oppressive religion dominates, women are secluded etc. They can become a threat also for Russia, but it was a great mistake of American rulers not to have searched truly a collaboration with Russia. They did not change their approach after the end of the Cold war, they made (and are still making) an unfriendly policy against Russia, encircling it with military installations etc. We all will suffer the consequences of this mistake.