High Life

11 October 2008

No win situation

New York

The war on terror, as the most inarticulate man ever to inhabit the White House calls it, has now lasted longer than the second world war. And take it from Taki, it’s not going away, not in my lifetime, that’s for sure. Insurgencies have a tendency to wear out their enemy and eventually prevail. Malaya (1948–60) is the only exception (thank you, Col. Thompson). In 1946 the French fought an insurgency in Indochina, and after eight years they collapsed in Dien Bien Phu. Algeria ditto. Ten years in Vietnam saw mighty Uncle Sam defeated, while in the Philippines the Marxist Huks are yet to be beaten. In Afghanistan, the powerful Soviet Union ate humble pie after nine years, and at present Nato is also tasting the same kind of pie, despite reports to the contrary.

Let’s face it, victory in Afghanistan is an ephemeral mirage, to be enjoyed only under the influence of that miserable country’s most popular export. The Taleban has the same advantage over US and European forces under Nato that once upon a time the North Vietnamese and FLN had in North Vietnam and in Tunisia. Safe havens in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, where the Pashtun population loves him, makes Johnny Taleban a very hard chappie to pin down. In fact, the only ones pinned down seem to be those friends of ours getting very rich indeed selling drugs back in Kabul. We need 400,000 troops to tie with the Taleban, and perhaps double that to win. Instead we have 60,000 whose operations are known in advance to the enemy through local employees that work in US and Nato bases. It is a joke except for those who have lost their lives over there in order to satisfy the Blair and Bush megalomania. And don’t dismiss a Vietnam-style Tet offensive, this time in Kabul.

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Herbert Thornton

October 9th, 2008 7:35am Report this comment

"Who needs daily to read and hear lowlifes put him through the ringer......"?

Oh dear. Is this the sign of a dead wringer?

ghostof'lectricity

October 10th, 2008 2:30am Report this comment

I'm with you, HT. Mr. Taki is always bloviating in an ersatz and often-inept display of erudition in support of his idiotic ideas. My favorite phrase in this week's column is "ephemeral mirage." As opposed to a solid mirage, no doubt.

Martin Pearce

October 10th, 2008 6:45pm Report this comment

Two solecisms in one column. He'll be ringing his hands in anguish.

David Short

October 11th, 2008 10:14pm Report this comment

Blame the subs, or lack of them, after the cheeseparing management sacked them.

I've still not quite recovered from the new illiterate Spectator putting on sales!

I'm not sure the ABCs would stand up to scrutiny though.

Duc de Blangis

October 13th, 2008 3:06am Report this comment

An entertaining article, but I'm not sure that Malaya was an exception. The compromises made by the UK during the Emergency only ensured the mutual emasculation of the opposing forces. Loss of a colony does not constitute a victory.

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