Total number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 300
Another dreadful milestone. For 300 families their grief will be churned up again. Anniversaries and days like today force a renewal of the anguish of loss. I hope that it gives our Government a chance to pause and think.
I did an interview on BBC News from Strasbourg repeating the arguments that I used frequently on this blog. Two encouraging replies were received. I am not publishing the names.
"I saw part of your interview this morning talking about our forces involvement in Afghanistan. I am not a Labour supporter but I thought every comment you made was absolutely correct. Many years ago I served with 2 Para in Cyprus and have a very small idea of what fighting terrorism is all about and its aftermath - nothing compared with what our troops are having to put up with today. It astounds me that our leaders never seem to have read the history of this country and as you quite rightly pointed out the rotten and corrupt government at its centre. Good luck with your campaign and please catch Mr Speakers eye as often as possible to bring your accurate comments to as much of the House as possible so that sooner rather than later our Troops will be withdrawn to defend our Borders closer to home. Montgomery and El Alamein spring to mind - pick your own ground to defend our country - don't let the enemy dictate its battle ground!
Best wishes
CB"
"Annwyl Paul
Diolch am y gyfweliad ardderchog ar y Newyddion o Strasbourg heddiw. Cytuno cant y cant. Pob dymuniad da yn yr ymgyrch i ddylanwadu ar y gwleidyddion eraill.
G ac E J"
'Words please'
I also had a request from a national newspaper for 300 words on Afghanistan. I agreed and left my meeting to find a quiet spot to write. Another call arrived. Change of mind. The man in charge wants the words written by a military person. Shame. I abandon the task. Two hours later another call announces a further change of mind. '300 words please.' I send them in half an hour later. 'Thanks' is the reply 'Could you send an additional 250 words." I obliged. I look forward to reading tomorrow's paper. It should be worthwhile - unless they had a further change of mind.
Post script
22/06/2010Afghanistan - should we get troops out now? MP Paul Flynn and Colonel Richard Kemp argue for and against withdrawl
No says Colonel Richard Kemp, Former Commander UK Forces in Afghanistan
Battle is costly but vital to win
Just a few miles from today’s battle zone in Helmand, the British Army sustained nearly 1,000 casualties during their bloody defeat at Maiwand, almost exactly 130 years ago.
The victorious Afghan commander, Ayub Khan, then sought to drive home his victory, attacking the British at Kandahar.
Justin McCarthy, a historian of the time, said “the darkest hour proved to be that just before the dawn”.
Dawn did indeed follow. Ayub Khan’s forces were destroyed at Kandahar.
Following their decisive victory, the British withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving a political settlement that was to endure for 40 years – a lengthy period of stability in Afghanistan’s turbulent history.
With the landmark of 300 British deaths, have we now reached the darkest hour in our modern Afghan war?
One hundred British soldiers have been killed in the past nine months.
The UN reports a 94% rise in roadside bombings in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Through violent defeats in 2006 and 2007 the Taliban learnt they could not beat us in head-to-head combat.
Instead they have resorted to crude improvised explosive devices which kill and maim without exposing the Taliban to risk.
Recent Allied incursions into the enemy’s heartland have brought security to hundreds of thousands of Afghan people but an enemy desperate to cling on to their territory have resisted strongly.
The scene of Ayub Khan’s defeat so many years ago – Kandahar – is the Taliban’s last significant stronghold in southern Afghanistan. That will be dealt with soon, and will also be fiercely opposed, resulting in still more casualties.
As control of these areas is wrested from the Taliban, we can hope to see a decrease in casualty figures – perhaps later this year.
Will that mark a new dawn?
The Taliban won’t accept defeat, and will continue to attack our forces and the civilian population so before we can withdraw we have to reduce their capability to a level that can be handled by the Afghan government and security forces.
As well as killing the insurgents, we must split away those individuals that can be persuaded to change sides – a tricky process with uncertain results. If we can succeed in decisively undermining the Taliban, will the Afghan security forces be capable of taking on the residual insurgency unaided?
The police are still in a woeful state of indiscipline and corruption, and much more work will be needed to develop the organisation of the Afghan National Army.
It looks likely that support will be needed for many years to come.
But whatever progress is made in all of these areas will be wasted without a government in Kabul that is strong enough to command the loyalty of the security forces as well as the support of the population.
These challenges are massive. But the stakes are too high for us to fail.
If the Taliban re-take Afghanistan, al-Qaeda will follow, re-establishing a base to launch terror attacks against the West.
A Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would provide a safe haven to strengthen and support the increasingly dangerous insurgency that is bent on bringing down the government of Pakistan.
The risks to our own security of a nuclear-armed state in extremist hands don’t bear thinking about.
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Yes says Paul Flynnn Labour MP for Newport West
No more should be killed in vain
In order for David Cameron to keep his promise not to lose his nerve on Afghanistan, others must lose their lives.
The Government’s strategy is self-serving and unachievable. No stable Afghan government can be built on the crumbling foundations of an election-rigging president, a mercenary, drug-ridden army and a corrupt, depraved police force.
It’s untrue that terrorism is deterred here by Nato’s presence in a small area of Afghanistan.
Al-Qaeda is free to operate in vast tracts of Asia, North Africa and the Persian Gulf.
Meanwhile Cameron is in denial. He failed to mention on his report to the Commons last week that neither he nor the Foreign Secretary could visit Nato units on their recent trips because of the growing strength of the Taliban.
He ignores the doubling of the numbers of IEDs that the Taliban have used against our troops.
The UK is lamely following the disillusionment of Canada and Netherlands. They are withdrawing their troops. We have frozen our total. Next year we are virtually certain to withdraw troops.
The situation is the same as in 1917 during the First World War when it was said: “This war is being prolonged by those who have the power to end it.”
Politicians are planning a deal with Karzai, the warlords and the Taliban that can be spun as a victory. It will not be pretty but it is
inevitable. We are in end game.
Expectations of victory have gone. The possibility of a stable Afghanistan have gone.
Now the highest ambition is a “stable enough” country.
The Government will lie and invent a stability that is not there. We will scurry out leaving this blighted land in a similar state of civil war that existed in 2001 when we arrived.
In the meantime, our brave troops will carry on dying while politicians carry on lying.
It is easier to repeat an old lie than reveal a new truth. Politicians of both main parties have their mouths bandaged by their own guilt.
To change tactics now is to admit to failures of policy that have resulted in the deaths of 300 courageous soldiers.
Our incursion into Helmand province in 2006 was a grave error. Then, only seven soldiers had died – five in accidents. Our soldiers have paid the price of Helmand with the loss of another 293 lives. It is time for politicians to admit that our war aims are impossible.
The sooner a peace strategy is devised the better. Some gains made by the Nato presence can be protected. If we delay, outraged public opinion may demand a panic withdrawal as damaging as America’s exit from Saigon.
US politicians said then what our UK politicians are saying now: “We cannot afford to lose.”
The fear back then was the domino effect. If Vietnam went communist, so would all other countries in South East Asia. It was a lie, of course.
Now we are told that terrorism in Britain is held back because of our war in Afghanistan. That’s a lie, too. If it was true we should have plans to start new wars in Pakistan, Somalia and the Yemen.
Public opinion is increasingly rejecting the notion that British lives should be lost for a corrupt Karzai regime.
Vietnam veteran and US Senator John Kerry asked at the end of the Vietnam war in 1971: “How do you ask a man to be the last one to die for a mistake?”
British politicians should be haunted by the same nightmare.
We went in in 2001 aqnd it took 8 years to suffer 200 deaths (not counting the euphamistic 'life changing injuries') - now the next 100 comes in a matter of months AND some numpty on the radio says that we're winning and the casulaties are because we're engaging the enemy more.
That feels a lot like the logic from the Somme - we engaged the enemy there as well ..
But this is what I mean about politicians - nothing changes , not really .. Cameron and Clegg are trumpeting the same slogans..
Posted by: Tony | June 22, 2010 at 08:49 AM