The British in Afganistan

**English assassin** · 07-06-2006, 10:47

http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanista...813676,00.html

Forget Iraq, this is going to be the story. We are in the soup chaps.

This mission makes absolutely no sense, and yet I bet no one is ever held to account for this. A small number of troops are expected to (1) end poppy growing, in a region where that is the staple crop, thereby cutting off the incme to 90% of the population and (2) enable all sorts of wonderful infrastructure projects to take place,in (3) a region where every adult male is an armed lunatic and the Taliban have free rein.

And they are up for a fight aren't they, ambushing the paras in broad daylight, these boys don't give a monkeys.

Mark my words, this one is going to hell in a handbasket, as any fool could have told from the outset. 3000 troops? You'd struggle with 30,000. Has anyone in government heard of the 1842 retreat from Kabul I wonder. Basic lesson in Afghan history: they are all armed, they are all mad, and they live in thousands and thousands of square miles of prime bandit country. Avoid.

**doc_bean** · 07-06-2006, 10:51

I don't know about history but I've seen Rambo III. The Afghan are bad****.

Okay and this mission once again shows the utter retardness of military command these days...

**King Ragnar** · 07-06-2006, 10:56

Sad to say but alot of those of those soldiers are not going to come out alive as much as its sickens me, its the truth, still i see no valid reason why the hell we are getting involved in stupid middle eastern conflicts, that we should play no part in.

**caravel** · 07-06-2006, 10:59

It needs to be stabilised for the sake of the trans-Afghanistan pipeline, otherwise they wouldn't give a hoot about the place. All the rebuilding, peacekeeping and stopping of poppy growing is just their usual, laughable cover story.

**Boohugh** · 07-06-2006, 11:15

Originally Posted by Caravel

It needs to be stabilised for the sake of the trans-Afghanistan pipeline, otherwise they wouldn't give a hoot about the place. All the rebuilding, peacekeeping and stopping of poppy growing is just their usual, laughable cover story.

Well, stopping the poppy growing would also have a massive effect on the heroin trade, so there is an interest there too seeing as large quantities of it ends up in Europe.

**doc_bean** · 07-06-2006, 11:17

Originally Posted by LordHugh

Well, stopping the poppy growing would also have a massive effect on the heroin trade, so there is an interest there too seeing as large quantities of it ends up in Europe.

Because more expensive heroin would mean less crime ?

**caravel** · 07-06-2006, 11:22

Originally Posted by LordHugh

Well, stopping the poppy growing would also have a massive effect on the heroin trade, so there is an interest there too seeing as large quantities of it ends up in Europe.

Stopping the heroin trade in that manner is like mopping the floor to fix a leaky pipe.

**Banquo's Ghost** · 07-06-2006, 11:25

Originally Posted by English assassin

Mark my words, this one is going to hell in a handbasket, as any fool could have told from the outset. 3000 troops? You'd struggle with 30,000. Has anyone in government heard of the 1842 retreat from Kabul I wonder. Basic lesson in Afghan history: they are all armed, they are all mad, and they live in thousands and thousands of square miles of prime bandit country. Avoid.

Agreed.

It is what our charmingly eloquent American colleagues would term a 'cluster ****'.

**Louis VI the Fat** · 07-06-2006, 17:31

Heheh, this thread has lost focus and direction quicker than the mission in Afghanistan.

**Redleg** · 07-06-2006, 17:47

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Heheh, this thread has lost focus and direction quicker than the mission in Afghanistan.

Very much so.

By the way I believe that there is currently still American Forces in Afganstan.

Originally Posted by 2005 Article speaking about March-April United States Troop strength in Afganstan

The reduction would bring U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan to about 16,500.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...n1143289.shtml

**ShadesWolf** · 07-06-2006, 19:46

If the British army in is prime couldnt conquer the Afgans. What are a few thousand peace-keepers, or whatever Bliar is calling them now, expected to do.

Yes so we take a few drugs off the streets, by destroying the poppy crops, which are by-the-way the consequence of the Taliban being overthrown.

If Bliar is trying to re-kindle the empire maybe he is going about it the wrong way.