Total number of UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 424
Bald brief announcements tonight were sandwiched between the death of a child and the Olympic triumphs. Tomorrow the names of the soldiers will be announced-again briefly. It is unlikely that the soldiers' return to the UK will be reported. The previous route through Wotton Basett is now diverted down deserted country lanes. This is the war the Government want to forget.
They console themselves with delusions. They tell themselves that it will end peacefully and everyone will live happily ever after. The truth is buried in their world. They believe that the Afghan soldiers and police will be pleased to put their lives at risk to serve their election-rigging president and that they will slaughter their brother Afghans in the service of a foreign state. Hardly noticed in the desertions to the Taliban in past two weeks of two groups of Afghan Police. They took their weapons and equipment with them.
There is private fretting that in a few years time the Taliban will be back driving NATO vehicles around Kabul. The only task politicians see now is how they will weave an end to the war that they can spin as a victory for their own reputations.
Meanwhile, soldiers die and politicians lie.
Aye, but which will make corporations more money?
Posted by: D.G. | August 19, 2012 at 08:23 PM
Like it or not this country of ours has according to the government an 'enemy'. I wonder what this government has to say in secret about this war which has cost so many military and civilian lives.
They act like they are the sensible ones and theirs is the only game in town, but their words are ones of violence and should be considered as extremely bitter to all right thinking people.
It is clear then that any right thinking person has become a target. They have been allowed to become complacent.
In private, they KNOW they are wrong but they feel it is safe to dictate the course of this war in their private get-togethers.
They will stop at nothing in order to terrorise the public and vilify the manufactured 'enemy'. It has become a government/ media frenzy.
I don't believe the government lies will suffice much longer. On the ground events are likely to upset their propaganda as they have been with increasing regularity recently.
It is more likely that their words will increasingly come back down on them like a tonne of bricks. Eventually, I believe soon, these pro war politicians will look foolish and will be left out in the cold. I'm hopeful that they will all see sense. There are two outcomes: the ugly one or the sensible one.
Posted by: Ad | August 17, 2012 at 01:35 AM