The doubts that remain after Brown's Afghanistan statement

Roger Daley

Another soldier dies today during the Afghanisation process.

BigAl

Macavity has come out to announce a choreographed uplift in troops. I had assumed that we only sent troops into battle if they had the right equipment. So don't see why it is such a big deal to make this a condition - unless my assumption is incorrect.......

ndm

But, until we see proof to the contrary, there's always the worry that we're still "spreading the Marmite too thin," as Brigadier James Cowan puts it in the latest issue of the magazine.

But hasn't that always been the problem with both Afghanistan and Iraq? Neither wars ever had the troops necessary to subdue the country at the time when that was possible. Both wars were fought on the cheap with a short-term view of costs which led to catastrophic long-term consequences and seemingly endless war.

The appropriate action for any American or British General unhappy with the way politicians are handling the war is for them to resign. Unfortunately, not one of them chose to do so when it mattered in the run up to the wars. And in choosing their rank and its benefits over an honourable resignation they betrayed their men who would go on to die needless deaths and they betrayed their country.

Dewi

So Gordon's taking his obsession with tick-boxes to the military, is he? There's no way that will end well.

Tom Pride

BigAl
November 30th, 2009 6:14pm
. . I had assumed that we only sent troops into battle if they had the right equipment. So don't see why it is such a big deal to make this a condition - unless my assumption is incorrect.......

He really is an unpleasant piece of work. He makes it a condition, and gets the top brass to announce / confirm it so, to tie them in and ensure that should it be found out in due course that the boys on the ground lack some equipment (whether foreseen or unforeseen) or have inappropriate or malfunctioning equipment then the blame falls on the top brass. Sends the boys of to fight but makes sure no more accusations of lack of equipment can be pinned on him. Simply Brown, put the career interest (election prospects) of Brown first, the Labour Party second and all else can go hang.

Meanwhile back at home:

“Conservative peer Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury, named Britain's most powerful Muslim woman, has been pelted with eggs during a visit to Luton.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8387110.stm

It was on the London local news bulletin.

Rhoda Klapp

This all has a sense of pre-ordained doom and failure about it. I'd love to be proved wrong.

Anne Wotana Kaye

Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury, named Britain's most powerful Muslim woman, has been pelted with eggs during a visit to Luton.
The violence was enacted by moslem men who do not support British armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and are actually traitors since whatever they pretend to the contrary, they support the Taliban. If Brown ran a proper government, these vile creatures would be arrested and tried as traitors, and held in custody for the duration of the conflict in Afghanistan. This would have happened without protest in World War II, if demonstators would have attacked Allied troops for fighting the nazis and pelted a politician with eggs and insulted her. They would have been imprisoned in the Tower of London, and some would have actually been executed. Pity Brown can only go after those who do not want to see the destruction of Western values in this country.

Tankus

...was one of browns conditions that SuBo gets to number one ?

A non negotiable ?

logdon

Anne Wotana Kaye
November 30th, 2009 7:32pm

Agreed totally.

Read this and weep.

From the Islam in Europe blog.

“Quote: Is it racism for the Dutch to want their nation to stay Dutch?

Jim Prevor, at the Weekly Standard, discusses the national identity point.

The larger question, though, is whether a nation is any more than a geographic entity. If some Parisian Rip Van Winkle wakes up one distant morning and finds himself in a nation that speaks Arabic, where the people are Muslim, food is by law halal and the government follows Sharia law. Is that fellow still, in any meaningful sense, in France?

Is it simple racism for, say, the Dutch to want their nation to stay Dutch -- not just in terms of geography -- in terms of language, food, religion, government, architecture and all the things that make up a culture?

Switzerland is small and whether minarets are built there is of little importance. The issue, though, is whether it is a legitimate aspiration of a people to want to maintain a nation as a home for a certain people.

--
Posted By Esther to Islam in Europe at 11/30/2009 10:39:00 AM

Gawain

As with any Brown announcement there'll be a truck. We just haven't worked it out yet. Brown is just not a war leader, he should be boarded up where he really belongs, in some regional university writing endless post modernist drivel about global economics that even his wife wouldn't pretend to read. Look at his eyes and body language when the war is mentioned. He wants to run away like he did in Iraq.

Hysteria

watched the egg throwing clip - interesting.....

When are we going to get real about some of these radicals and where their allegiances lay. We live in a (broadly) swcular culture, but with strong Judeo-Christian roots. If some folks dont like that , and choose not to conform, well - so be it - bye bye.

strapworld

Hysteria, The only time the authorities will 'get serious' is when the s... really hits the fan and the predictable riots that will occur take place and the police arrest more whites than muslims- as they will. That could light the blue fuse and that could create mayham.

This Country has not learnt anything from its great history.

I wondered what the outcome would be if we had a referendum in this Country on the same question as the Swiss voted.

Am I wrong in believing that a far greater majority saying NO would be the outcome?

Yarnesfromhorsham

We may well have 10000 troops in Afghanistan but how many are combat?
Whether the Afghans train up an army of 90k or 134k men its not going to be effective.History dear boy history. Stop wasting young lives and taxpayers money money

Yarnesfromhorsham

Tom Pride. Agree, typical Brown approach. Look also at all Government Depts, - accountability passed down to a range of quangos enables Ministers to duck responsiblity - "Not me Guv" Last minister to fall on his sword - with honour - was Lord Carrington.

Naomi Muse

Tom Pride and others. Absolutely right.

Awful that the politicking is so overt as to blame the top brass.

We need service with honour as a mantra to be signed up to by all prospective MPs - including incumbents before the next election so that these sneaky folks can be held to account during their time in office.

Chuck Unsworth

Is it not the case that doubts remain after each and every Brown 'statement'?

Surely the experiences of the past decade must undeline the folly of thinking otherwise?