Newspapers are going on and on about an American soldier who went on a shooting spree in Afghanistan several days ago. Going from door to door in a remote village, he killed sixteen civilians, including nine children. A group of allied soldiers burned copies of the Koran in Afghanistan a month or so ago. Afghans are not amused, of course. They solemnly promise revenge. They should rejoice, though. Deep in their hearts, Americans and their allies in Afghanistan know that they are losing the war. Their nerves are frayed. Whence the incidents, no doubt. They can burn as many copies of the Koran as they wish, and they can go on as many shooting sprees as they like, but the war is already lost. Every incident of this sort only adds to the demise of the war effort. And it speeds up its ignoble end. It was a mindless war from the very start, anyhow. The only question for Americans and their allies is how to get out of the mess with minimum losses. The incidents do not bode well in this regard. Which only adds to the fraying of nerves, to be sure.