Comments on: The Sun asks the right questions on Afghanistan

By: SJB

SJB — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:47:55 +0000

Human Rights lawyers have recently achieved a landmark victory FOR armed forces serving overseas.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/5345008/MoD-facing-compensation-claims-after-legal-ruling.html
Now the MoD will face financial sanctions if they fail to provide soldiers with reasonable protection.

By: Citizen Responsible

Citizen Responsible — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:06:02 +0000

Mark -“Iraq is at risk of subdivision into Sunni, Shia and Kurd areas “

I quote from the Associated Press item about Iraq 24/08/09.

“ Major Shiite groups have formed a new alliance that will exclude the Iraqi prime minister, a move likely to stoke fears of increasing Iranian influence” “If the alliance does well in the Jan. 16 parliamentary elections, Tehran could gain deeper influence in Iraq just as U.S. forces begin to withdraw. The last American soldier is scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.”

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=20090824_13_0_BGDDPa734354&rss_lnk=1

If Iraq were to break up into three federalist states, Iran might be able to take over the southern, Shiite, oil rich region.

By: alan jutson

alan jutson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:03:44 +0000

Thank you for the link.
Perhaps the contents explains why it is now suggested that it will take 40 years.

Perhaps the BBC should show some of this footage.

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:40:11 +0000

Is the focus on equipment difficulties (I could give a long list through two world wars and the Falklands etc) not a diversion from the core point that the British public want a war without casualties? The taliban know we live in a 24 hour media world and are acting accordingly.

Of course if we censored the media and cut off the oxygen of publicity (as happened in say World War Two) – maybe this is what the SUN wants with its “bloody war on”?

As for paying for extra equipment – how about VAT on newspaper sales ?

By: Man in a Shed

Man in a Shed — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:28:32 +0000

The Economist broke ranks a week ago, claiming the line of terrorism is no longer a supportable line – saying “Western governments use a lazy shorthand to justify this war.” .

To some degree the government has hidden behind everyone’s natural patriotism and support for our forces under fire.

I was pleased to see Liam Fox pressing for a plan – but I hope David Cameron is aware that a radical change is needed.

There are a lot of people with vested interests in escalation for and ill defined victory (doubling their bets so to speak to win back the credibility lost). Pulling out, especially against US wishes, would be very messy. But I think its the view the general public will soon support, and then demand.

I suspect the military have been signalling this problem with the statements about being in Afghanistan for 40 years. That’s clearly not politically acceptable – which means they are telling us the current approach isn’t going to be either.

But as you say the Sun gave Labour and Brown both barrels, so even Labour must now understand they will have to do something.

By: james harries

james harries — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:14:16 +0000

I agree with you Peter. (Apart from voting LibDem.) The idea of training the Afghan Army (what they? who do they answer to?) to do our dirty work while we retire to Sandhurst-on-the-Kyber is ludricrous moonshine.
I haven’t read the Sun but I suspect they would put the actual choice we face pretty succinctly; win or get out.
Winning needs resources (which we might just be able to afford if we scrapped Trident, the Eurofighter and those two aircraft carriers with no aircraft). Getting out, as another correspondent wisely points out, may be even more expensive in the long run.
Maybe Dave could conduct one of his focus groups on the Arab Street so as to enable the tories to actually come up with – like, you know, the word’ll come to me in a minute – oh yes – a policy.

By: Bazman

Bazman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:04:26 +0000

Even me eating me drunken burger cannot see. The Bun asking the right questions.

By: Mike Stallard

Mike Stallard — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:56:48 +0000

I am, at the moment I must admit, convinced that the Conservatives offer the only hope of preventing our little country going over the rapids. But I am not a party member or anything like that.
Please do think before you join the Libdems. I used to be one and they are neither liberal nor are they democratic. I left when I was not elected for the Council. And do you know what? As I stood there on the stage, having ruined my Easster holidays trudging round and round Harrogate in the rain, not ONE Libdem came and said that they were sorry etc. Indeed, not one spoke to me at all except to beg further favours, like writing thank-you letters.
Just because the Libdems are not Labour does not make them electable.
Have you thought of UKIP?

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:22:35 +0000

Surely it’s nonsense to claim there is no strategic value to Afghanistan when it borders Pakistan (which we would like to stabilise) and Iran where instability would serve us well.

Isolationists are like people who are born with limited nervous senses. You can cut them somewhere and they don’t feel it. You can chop a bit off and they laugh, and then they die from a loss of blood they knew no pain from and felt no fear of.

By: Adrian Peirson

Adrian Peirson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:25:33 +0000

Actually I think one of the reasons they are over their is ro be culled and demoralised, I’m not the only person that thinks that.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=25A74DD7B093C8B9&search_query=state+of+the+nation+brian+gerrish