Ashdown warns that Afghanistan is lost
James Forsyth 8:46am
When it comes to winning the peace few people know more than Paddy Ashdown so his warning that Afghanistan is “lost” is particularly alarming. The Telegraph quotes him setting out the consequences of defeat: “I believe losing in Afghanistan is worse than losing in Iraq. It will mean that Pakistan will fall and it will have serious implications internally for the security of our own countries and will instigate a wider Shiite [Shia], Sunni regional war on a grand scale.
"Some people refer to the First and Second World Wars as European civil wars and I think a similar regional civil war could be initiated by this [failure] to match this magnitude."Ashdown has been beating the drum on this issue for a while, arguing from his Bosnian experience that a high-level figure is needed to forge a coordinated strategy. (Sadly, Ashdown himself has turned down the job.) But the caveats that so restrict the role of most European troops serving in Afghanistan also need to be lifted.
Many European government have made much play of how Afghanistan is the ‘good war’ in contrast to Iraq. But their unwillingness to do the heavy lifting there suggests that Europe won’t face up to its international responsibilities whatever the circumstances.
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Max Kaye
October 25th, 2007 9:20am Report this commentA better analogy would be 15th-17th century Europe. Horrible as it may sound, maybe the Muslim world 'needs' the trauma of a 'wider Shia/Sunni regional war on a grand scale' to move out of it's mediaeval mindset and reform itself.
Unfortunately, unlike 15th century Europe, one of the sides may have access to nuclear weapons.
C.Rowsby
October 25th, 2007 3:19pm Report this commentCan we trust our so called euro partners in the light of their refusal to share the load? I think not.
Zaheer Akmal
October 25th, 2007 5:17pm Report this commentMax, what a horrible wish to see people slaughter each other! The problem is not an exaggerated Shia/Sunni dichotomy but Wahhabi radicalism financed by we know who throughout the lands of Islam. The moment is now to crush the snake before it further spreads its venom. The real misfortune of our times is that high-minded western liberals would rather see millions perish than to let go of their outdated (and frankly racist) ideals.
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