Afghanistan

[Swiss Tony]

By the way people do realise this war is a United Nations led effort, under the ISAF setup which is being led by NATO, and not just an UK/US problem?

And guess who's doing the graft.

 

[Lord Football]

This is Craig Murray

He was a candidate in the Norwich North By Election held last week. He spoke at a Candidate's Question Time, which I chaired. One of the questions raised was "should there be more helicopters for our boys in Afghanistan".

His answer took everyone by surprise, and is pretty much the best answer I've ever heard at a political event.

It went like this....

They don't need helicopters. They need planes. Planes to bring them home. I know this because I was the British Ambassador to Uzbekistan which neighbours Afghanistan.

He then went on to explain how the Afghan PM's brother is the world's biggest cultivator of heroin and the real reason we are there. We are not there to protect the good people of Kabul and Kanadahar, but we are there to protect an oil pipeline that runs right through the country. If there wasn't that oil line, we wouldn't be there at all.

Never quite understood why GWB and Bush decided to go into Afghanistan in the first place, especially as the West armed the Taliban in the first place.

Bring our soldiers home. Enough young lives have been wasted. Enough families destroyed.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

And guess who's doing the graft.

No saying that our troops are in a dangerous area but lets not be blind to the fact that other countries are involved in some dangerous places, just that our news media are just focusing on our efforts, so it could be easily seen by the UK Public that we are doing most of the work.

I will have to defer to chadded who has spent considerable amount of time in this theatre to confirm whether the other countries apart from the UK or US are involved in such high risk engagements.

 

[Napster]

This is Craig Murray.

and he's not a controversial chappy at all.

 

[Junior Toot]

What have they died for? Certainly not the protection of this country. Would have 7/7 happened if the UK hadn't waded into Iraq on the blatant lie of WMD's or Afghanistan picking an easy target for 9/11 when the hijackers came from Saudi Arabia.

Afghanistan has brought an end to many an empire - if a heavily armed Soviet force couldn't tame the country what chance do the US/UK have?[/quote]

Didnt the Afghans have the support of the US when they defeated the Soviet push? Similar to the US supporting Iraq in its conflict with Iran way back? Its funny how times change in the fight for the 'great of good'?

 

[osymandus]

What have they died for? Certainly not the protection of this country. Would have 7/7 happened if the UK hadn't waded into Iraq on the blatant lie of WMD's or Afghanistan picking an easy target for 9/11 when the hijackers came from Saudi Arabia.

Afghanistan has brought an end to many an empire - if a heavily armed Soviet force couldn't tame the country what chance do the US/UK have?[/quote]

Didnt the Afghans have the support of the US when they defeated the Soviet push? Similar to the US supporting Iraq in its conflict with Iran way back? Its funny how times change in the fight for the 'great of good'?

Yes and teh soviets were winning , by using Hinds to exterminate villages and ground troops . Once the US armed what became the Taliban it became a differnet story

Genghis Khan did conqueor it and his descendants ruled to about 1506

 

[Swiss Tony]

No saying that our troops are in a dangerous area but lets not be blind to the fact that other countries are involved in some dangerous places, just that our news media are just focusing on our efforts, so it could be easily seen by the UK Public that we are doing most of the work.

I will have to defer to chadded who has spent considerable amount of time in this theatre to confirm whether the other countries apart from the UK or US are involved in such high risk engagements.

Sorry i should of said what countries i meant,GB,USA,and Canada,i'm not saying other nations are not involved,they are,but just not to our levels.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

and he's not a controversial chappy at all.

Murray says that he has 'fun' being a dissident, and left his wife and kids for an Uzbek belly dancer. And this is the guy that Lord Football thinks we should be listening to on key issues of foreign policy. Nice post Naps.

 

[DTS]

For me one single British death fighting a war in a foreign land that does not involve us is too many. I personally would rather see my own people safe and dont give a **** about a load of Afghans most of which will probably end up here anyway. Its a joke.

 

[maninasuitcase]

For me one single British death fighting a war in a foreign land that does not involve us is too many. I personally would rather see my own people safe and dont give a **** about a load of Afghans most of which will probably end up here anyway. Its a joke.

If we want to be a world player then we have responsibilities that have to be met.

Afghanistan produces most of the world's heroin, yet could supply legal morphine if encouraged to so.

I doubt there are that many Afghans trying to get to England, it's much more likely they'd flee to Pakistan and Iran.

 

[osymandus]

If we want to be a world player then we have responsibilities that have to be met.

Afghanistan produces most of the world's heroin, yet could supply legal morphine if encouraged to so.

It does both already the mjority of teh worlds production comes from Akganistan , theres just so much money in both trades