Afghanistan: Mission Accomplished

[toblerone3]

Are you relieved that the mission in Afghanistan has been accomplished and that the troops are returning home or do you think a longer military engagement is needed?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25398608

 

[Bakunin]

 

[smmudge]

He had said the situation in Afghanistan was not perfect, but the threats from terrorists had decreased and "that's because of the achievements of our armed forces".

wtf, there has been fucking loads of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan recently.

oh he means threats here. Oh well that's alright then.

 

[hash tag]

So, the Brit flag comes down in Afghanistan. Why did we invade it, what did we hope to achieve and how do know if we achieved it?
The politicians say the world Inc. Britain is now a safer place and Afghanistan is now free. The troups can come home with heads held high and be proud of what they have achieved, thats Ok then.
No mention of all the troups that have lost their lives, not to mention the thousands of innocent civilians dead and of course females have equal rights now; really? This seems far from the truth according to a programme earlier this week. Then of course there is the financial cost; the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on blowing the place to pieces.......FOR WHAT?

 

[coley]

Will be back to the 'same old' by this time next year.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

So, the Brit flag comes down in Afghanistan. Why did we invade it, what did we hope to achieve and how do know if we achieved it?
The politicians say the world Inc. Britain is now a safer place and Afghanistan is now free. The troups can come home with heads held high and be proud of what they have achieved, thats Ok then.
No mention of all the troups that have lost their lives, not to mention the thousands of innocent civilians dead and of course females have equal rights now; really? This seems far from the truth according to a programme earlier this week. Then of course there is the financial cost; the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on blowing the place to pieces.......FOR WHAT?

Wasn't it direct retaliation to the Taliban, for hiding bin laden in their gaff, post 9/11, in solidarity with our close military allies the usa? Justifications of the Taliban's appalling human rights record, mismanagement of government and blasé attitude towards democracy/elections are also on record.

I remember someone telling me about a strategically useful gas pipe that we might have wanted a soft government to have control over, which runs through the country. No idea if this is true, BTW, but toppling entire governments in decade long military campaigns seems an expensive and risky form of revenge.

 

[Kalfindin]

Are you relieved that the mission in Afghanistan has been accomplished and that the troops are returning home or do you think a longer military engagement is needed?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25398608

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2884243

Yes, because it never got nuked, Blair talked Bush out of nuking it, in return troops were sent in.
"Britain joined the United States' invasion to oust the Taliban in 2001 because it feared America would "nuke the shit" out of Afghanistan, the former British ambassador to Washington reportedly told a television documentary to be screened Saturday."

 

[coley]

Wasn't it direct retaliation to the Taliban, for hiding bin laden in their gaff, post 9/11, in solidarity with our close military allies the usa? Justifications of the Taliban's appalling human rights record, mismanagement of government and blasé attitude towards democracy/elections are also on record.

I remember someone telling me about a strategically useful gas pipe that we might have wanted a soft government to have control over, which runs through the country. No idea if this is true, BTW, but toppling entire governments in decade long military campaigns seems an expensive and risky form of revenge.[/

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Afghanistan_Pipeline

Not that I would give it a cat in hells chance of it being completed.

 

[treelover]

The historical perspective is pretty haunting too: one contributor recalls that when British soldiers searched roadsides in Helmand for IEDs they dug up the bones of their forerunners who died there in the nineteenth century.

From the BBC Doc tonight, BBC2, 9pm, 'Afghanistan, The Lions Last Roar', which speculates it may be the end of England's imperial adventures.

 

[coley]

From the BBC Doc tonight, BBC2, 9pm, 'Afghanistan, The Lions Last Roar', which speculates it may be the end of England's imperial adventures.

Aye, it was good, pity the last roar wasn't the Falklands, something most of us could appreciate.

 

[likesfish]

I'm sure we will be up for something at least as stupid/futile in the next 50 years two aircraft carriers and nearly a 100 stealth jumpjets garuntee somebody is getting bombed.

Plus all the freindship we created with the last two adventures wont be going away anytime soon

On the plus side stw will a,ways have an excuse for a weekend march

 

[Pickman's model]

Are you relieved that the mission in Afghanistan has been accomplished and that the troops are returning home or do you think a longer military engagement is needed?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25398608

you are mistaking accomplished for over. when something is accomplished, you have achieved what you set out to do, which is signally not the case in this instance.

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm sure we will be up for something at least as stupid/futile in the next 50 years two aircraft carriers and nearly a 100 stealth jumpjets garuntee somebody is getting bombed.

Plus all the freindship we created with the last two adventures wont be going away anytime soon

On the plus side stw will a,ways have an excuse for a weekend march

50 years? 5 more like

 

[dylanredefined]

Aye, it was good, pity the last roar wasn't the Falklands, something most of us could appreciate.

you are mistaking accomplished for over. when something is accomplished, you have achieved what you set out to do, which is signally not the case in this instance.

How can you tell? No one even knew what we set out to do.

 

[Pickman's model]

How can you tell? No one even knew what we set out to do.

http://www.channel4.com/news/articl...tcheck+why+are+we+in+afghanistan/3413297.html

 

[coley]

I'm sure we will be up for something at least as stupid/futile in the next 50 years two aircraft carriers and nearly a 100 stealth jumpjets garuntee somebody is getting bombed.

Plus all the freindship we created with the last two adventures wont be going away anytime soon

On the plus side stw will a,ways have an excuse for a weekend march

All that money,for what are essentially, two humongous whit elephants.

 

[Pingu]

Aye, it was good, pity the last roar wasn't the Falklands, something most of us could appreciate.

tbf we may get a rerun of that one at some point Corporate II - The empire strikes back

 

[Pickman's model]

All that money,for what are essentially, two humongous whit elephants.

there's not as much e as there used to be

 

[coley]

there's not as much e as there used to be

Was going to edit that and thought, wonder how long it will take pickmans to pick it up?

 

[Pickman's model]

Was going to edit that and thought, wonder how long it will take pickmans to pick it up?

about 15 seconds.

 

[sim667]

So, the Brit flag comes down in Afghanistan. Why did we invade it, what did we hope to achieve and how do know if we achieved it?
The politicians say the world Inc. Britain is now a safer place and Afghanistan is now free. The troups can come home with heads held high and be proud of what they have achieved, thats Ok then.
No mention of all the troups that have lost their lives, not to mention the thousands of innocent civilians dead and of course females have equal rights now; really? This seems far from the truth according to a programme earlier this week. Then of course there is the financial cost; the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on blowing the place to pieces.......FOR WHAT?

The huffington post have published the names and photos of all of those who lost their lives........

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...istan_n_6052978.html?1414408491&utm_hp_ref=uk

One of my freinds is on there, its a number of years later now, and I can still see the void that his loss created in some of my other freinds lives.....

IED took out his vehicle whilst they were driving to a firing range to set their sights on their weapons...... I'd never say or post this anywhere where my freinds are, but it seems like such a pointless waste to me, from what I can tell theres little or no real evidence of long term change in Afghanistan, UK streets are no safer, the middle east isn't settling and people have lost freinds and family.

 

[dylanredefined]

tbf we may get a rerun of that one at some point Corporate II - The empire strikes back

Not unless we fund the rebuilding of an Argentinian military.

 

[JHE]

Mission accomplished - my arse!

It was a stupid waste of about 450 young British lives, not to mention the thousands of young Afghans who died for their wretched god.

 

[coley]

Mission accomplished - my arse!

It was a stupid waste of about 450 young British lives, not to mention the thousands of young Afghans who died for their wretched god.

And the injured, and as you say all for nothing.

 

[likesfish]

The carriers are explicitly designed to go off and annoy somebody a ybody really.

 

[8115]

And the injured, and as you say all for nothing.

There were saying on the BBC breakfast news this morning, it's not really conceivable the Taliban will come back as a government. If true that's a big change.

So, on one hand maybe it has helped the security of this country (I am a little dubious as I see terrorism as like a many headed monster, you have to attack the causes or its head just pops up somewhere else).

But I reckon there have been radical and far ranging changes to Afghanistan society. Haven't they been moved much more towards a Western style democracy with a focus on security, health and education?

I'm not saying that an imperial style invasion is by any means the right way to go about doing these things, but I think there have been effects. I have seen/ heard several Afghan people saying, we should not be leaving as our work is not finished, to me that doesn't say nothing has been done?

 

[Pickman's model]

There were saying on the BBC breakfast news this morning, it's not really conceivable the Taliban will come back as a government. If true that's a big change.

if true...

 

[8115]

if true...

Time will tell.

I think time will be a big factor in judging the "success" of the mission in Afghanistan.

 

[Pickman's model]

Mission accomplished - my arse!

It was a stupid waste of about 450 young British lives, not to mention the thousands of young Afghans who died for their wretched god.

yeh our lads go out and die for queen and country and the other lot are deluded fanatics.

 

[dylanredefined]

if true...

Time will tell.

I think time will be a big factor in judging the "success" of the mission in Afghanistan.

Taliban.20 slightly more palatable to the west if only to cut down on the air strikes.