Dear All
Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond has called on the UK government to consider pulling British troops out of Afghanistan.
The Afghan war is seen by the public as unwinnable with a BBC poll suggesting 64% of Britons believing this.
Despite the new poll Prime Minister Gordon Brown still parrots the same line that the mission was vital in dealing with the threat of terrorism.
That is nonsense and disingenuous.
As thousands of people across the UK honoured the men and women killed in conflicts past and present with a two-minute silence, we should not forget their sacrifice but equally we have a duty to protect those still alive.
What is the Afghan problem?
It is the rejection of a western culture attempted to being imposed in a muslim country.
The stats of the BBC poll show how in-depth the disquiet is of the British people, over 231 British soldiers dead and countless injured and maimed for life.
In a poll;
42% of the 1,009 adults did not understand the purpose of Britain's mission in Afghanistan.
63% felt UK troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible
52% felt levels of corruption in Afghanistan's government meant the war was "not worth fighting for".
Alex Salmond told the BBC;
"I'm not surprised by the findings, because what you've got among the public is a combination of great support for the troops on the ground, as you would expect, but no confidence whatsoever in the government's strategy in pursuing the conflict."
It now transpires that even the Army want to retreat from being sitting targets to better defences.
Alex Salmond added;
"There has to be the fundamental reassessment of the role, mission, strategy nothing should be off the table, that should include the possibility of a withdrawal."
The Afghan mission is so badly organised, funded and lacking proper support, it should be taken offline until such times as resources become available.
The first order of business must be to restore law and order and deal with corrupt officials in the government.
These people should be dealt with under Islamic law.
We cannot have two systems of justice operating in the country if progress is to be made.
Gordon Brown defended the reasons for having soldiers in Afghanistan, he says;
"It's right that we explain there is a chain of terror that links Pakistan and the Afghan-Pakistan border to the streets of our cities in Britain and, if we do not take action in Pakistan and Afghanistan, then al-Qaeda would be plotting more and more chaos in the streets of our country."
This explanation is rubbish.
We are in Afghanistan because the Americans are in Afghanistan, nothing more.
If President Obama was bold enough to withdraw, then many lives would be saved, this idea of withdrawal is floating about the Obama administration but it has to transfer from idea to policy.
Today, people remember the dead, but tomorrow we have to get back to trying to save the living.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond has called on the UK government to consider pulling British troops out of Afghanistan.
The Afghan war is seen by the public as unwinnable with a BBC poll suggesting 64% of Britons believing this.
Despite the new poll Prime Minister Gordon Brown still parrots the same line that the mission was vital in dealing with the threat of terrorism.
That is nonsense and disingenuous.
As thousands of people across the UK honoured the men and women killed in conflicts past and present with a two-minute silence, we should not forget their sacrifice but equally we have a duty to protect those still alive.
What is the Afghan problem?
It is the rejection of a western culture attempted to being imposed in a muslim country.
The stats of the BBC poll show how in-depth the disquiet is of the British people, over 231 British soldiers dead and countless injured and maimed for life.
In a poll;
42% of the 1,009 adults did not understand the purpose of Britain's mission in Afghanistan.
63% felt UK troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible
52% felt levels of corruption in Afghanistan's government meant the war was "not worth fighting for".
Alex Salmond told the BBC;
"I'm not surprised by the findings, because what you've got among the public is a combination of great support for the troops on the ground, as you would expect, but no confidence whatsoever in the government's strategy in pursuing the conflict."
It now transpires that even the Army want to retreat from being sitting targets to better defences.
Alex Salmond added;
"There has to be the fundamental reassessment of the role, mission, strategy nothing should be off the table, that should include the possibility of a withdrawal."
The Afghan mission is so badly organised, funded and lacking proper support, it should be taken offline until such times as resources become available.
The first order of business must be to restore law and order and deal with corrupt officials in the government.
These people should be dealt with under Islamic law.
We cannot have two systems of justice operating in the country if progress is to be made.
Gordon Brown defended the reasons for having soldiers in Afghanistan, he says;
"It's right that we explain there is a chain of terror that links Pakistan and the Afghan-Pakistan border to the streets of our cities in Britain and, if we do not take action in Pakistan and Afghanistan, then al-Qaeda would be plotting more and more chaos in the streets of our country."
This explanation is rubbish.
We are in Afghanistan because the Americans are in Afghanistan, nothing more.
If President Obama was bold enough to withdraw, then many lives would be saved, this idea of withdrawal is floating about the Obama administration but it has to transfer from idea to policy.
Today, people remember the dead, but tomorrow we have to get back to trying to save the living.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
2 comments:
Putting aside Alexs political opportunism and the fact he is a 'pacifist'..
Kim Howells made a valid point on how many billions is being paid and that could be better used at home and cost less.
On the other hand no government snp or not would survive a major incident.
Given any opposing political party would claim the cause of the incident was allowing the Terrorists free reign in another nation.
The idea of having dead civilians at home with the media holding the politicians to blame.Probably outweighs having soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
I do agree any solution must be based on an Islamic one because their is a more realistic chance of it being accepted and bringing peace.
The problem is in the current Political climate nobody seems prepared to accept that fact.
Dear Mxyzptlk
You say ;
“Putting aside Alexs political opportunism and the fact he is a 'pacifist'.”
I like to think he is a little better than that but he is stating what everyone knows, it’s time to get the troops home.
“Kim Howells made a valid point on how many billions is being paid and that could be better used at home and cost less”.
Of course the money would have had a better return at home but we are in Afghanistan because of America.
“On the other hand no government snp or not would survive a major incident”.
I would disagree, regardless where the terrorists train that is irrelevant, it is what they do that is the issue.
“Given any opposing political party would claim the cause of the incident was allowing the Terrorists free reign in another nation”.
Are we going to occupy the world?
Of course opposing political parties are going to try and claim political capital but that is all about causing fear and pointing the finger at who’s to blame for it.
“The idea of having dead civilians at home with the media holding the politicians to blame. Probably outweighs having soldiers killed in Afghanistan”.
If any government is so weak in that respect, it doesn’t deserve to remain in office.
We don’t vote tabloids to run our country.
“I do agree any solution must be based on an Islamic one because their is a more realistic chance of it being accepted and bringing peace. The problem is in the current Political climate nobody seems prepared to accept that fact”.
I have a knack for thinking this type of thing.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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