An impossible position
James Forsyth 4:03pm
The moment that stuck out for me from today’s PMQs came right towards the end, the exchanges between the leaders were not particularly enlightening. Gerald Howarth, a member of the Tory defence team, rose from the backbenches to tell the House of an email he had received from a friend of one of those men killed in Afghanistan in recent days saying that the coalition is winning there. Howarth asked the PM to help spread this positive message — prompting Labour cries of ‘tell The Sun.’ But in his reply, Brown conspicuously did not say that we were winning. Instead, he concentrated on paying tribute to the bravery of the British forces serving there.
It is understandable that Brown is not prepared to say we are ‘winning’ in Afghanistan, there is plenty of evidence that we are not. However, I wonder how long public support for a war can be maintained when the Prime Minister can’t say that we are winning but is also not announcing a new strategy. As I said on Saturday, President Obama’s delay in making a decision on Afghan strategy is making Brown’s position nigh-on-impossible.
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Mike
November 11th, 2009 4:36pm Report this commentWe are asked to take on trust Brown's assurance that our soldiers' lives and billions of pounds have to be expended 'to make the streets of Britain safer'. Just like we were asked to take on trust that we had to invade and occupy Iraq because that country was an 'imminent, real danger to us at home'. That was nonsense, and so I believe is this.The slaughter of tens of thousands of Muslims in Iraq, and many more in Afghanistan have arguably poked a large stick into a hornet's nest and made us less safe, not more. Dead Muslims leave sons behind, and this two-war disaster will leave its mark for decades. A disaster.
TrevorsDen
November 11th, 2009 5:01pm Report this commentLabour defence of Afghan policy is totally hapless.
911 imparted a whole strain, philosophy, of fundamentalist muslim attack on the west. It has to be resisted and those places where its active must be eradicated.
its not a simple question of protecting our streets - its a question of world stability. For once Browns use of 'global' would not be out of place.
Pakistan has the bomb - one of their scientist has alreaady leaked its secrets. Pakistan/ Afghanistan need to be secure for our security. Not today or next week or next year, but for ever.
The govt have got it totally wrong however in deploying troops with too little to do too much. It is trying to 'do' Afghanistan as an appendage to the defence budget instead of focusing all our defence procurement and activities towards it.
Marcher Baron
November 11th, 2009 5:23pm Report this commentThe truth of the matter is, Brown was, as Chancellor, unwilling to allow the military the funds necessary to win the war (to pay for sufficient troops, materiel and equipment). Nothing has changed. We won't win unless the government gets 100% behind the troops and I see no sign of that happening in the near future. A different government may be a completely different matter.
Hysteria
November 11th, 2009 5:33pm Report this comment"It is trying to 'do' Afghanistan as an appendage to the defence budget instead of focusing all our defence procurement and activities towards it"
interesting comment - I think this is a good point - in time of war, the defence budget should be focused on that....
Peter
November 11th, 2009 5:38pm Report this commentThe soldiers on the ground seem to have more faith in what they are doing and why they are there than the government.
As for the opinion polls I think one last week was entirely contradictory with a majority saying we coiuld not win and shoild leave and a majority also saying that yhedy did not why we were there. So, if they do not even know why we are there how can they possibly form an opinion as to the success ore failure or whther or not we shoild remain.
The public is ill informed by the government, but I suspect there is a majority who blindly follow the media view without trying to illicit facts for themselves.
Bexleyite
November 11th, 2009 6:12pm Report this commentToday, I am honestly not bothered.
My grandfather fought at Jutland. My grandmother was sewing uniforms.
My father fought in at Normandy and in Burma. My mother was sewing uniforms.
Brown couldn't be bothered to bow. It's only because of them that he is where is now.
David Ossitt
November 11th, 2009 7:32pm Report this commentThis is all becoming nonsense; this is a war that can never; ever be won.
We will; as will all of the other countries involved, eventually bring our troops home, and, until that happy day, our politicians will continue to talk bollocks in explaining our reasons for being there.
It is simply a criminal act; the politicians tell us that we are bringing democracy to Afghanistan whose people do not want it, a waste of money, a waste of young lives.
It would be better if the politicians tried to bring back democracy to the UK; our people are yearning for it to return.
2trueblue
November 11th, 2009 10:34pm Report this commentIt was a very lacklustre exchange withCamerons hands tied becouse no one is prepared to now say that Browns letter is what it is; badly scribed and his eyesight has nothing to do with it. It was careless to send out a letter that was so badly put together and no one has the balls to say so.
Our NATO partners are not so good at taking their fair share of responsibility ad this should be dealt with. Why on earth we do not sort out the farming issues and buy the product is beyond me. Surley it would go some way towards helping us with our shortage and making better relations with part of the population?
Andrew K
November 12th, 2009 12:14am Report this commentI think that the truth is beginning to dawn on all sides, that Obama was put on this earth to make George W Bush look good.
Michael Booth
November 12th, 2009 11:01am Report this commentAndrew,
Was Brown put on this earth to make Blair look good?
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