afghanistan

[MattyF]

Lee beat me to it!!

[Shane]

Seems a big coincidence how the bully boy nations can't wait to restore democracy to countries with oil/gas yet the civil wars and genocide in Africa goes quietly on with bu@@er all interference.

 

Remember the Iraqi WMD - good reason to invade (not oil) but no weapons ever found.

Who will be next? Hope they don't find oil in my back garden!

[gibbon]

Lee beat me too the pipeline. I heard recently that Iraq is as much about water as oil. I believe some rivers essential to agriculture in neighbouring countries begin there. It's seen as a.strategic location to hold in the region hence why the us have been after it for years.

[sussexlad]

ahhhhhhhh gas. that actually rings a bell now its mentioned. that would be it then.

yep we couldnt wait to help the people of libya, but many conflicts go without our government batting an eyelid.

i hope they think its worth the lives of troops, not just our own.

i would like a few minutes in a locked room with the clever bloke whos idea it was:sneaky2:, only for a chat obviously!

[John Barleycorn]

Fact is that the British army has been defeated three times in Afghanistan.

The first time in 1841 about 4,500 troops plus over 12,000 civillians were massacred as they retreated from Kabul.

We are now heading for the fourth defeat.

Do the politicians never learn ??

[scotspine1]

Afghanistan ... It bankrupt Russia

 

I wonder to what extent the average Russian is still interested in such things now time has faded their excursions into the area...

 

There's a common misconception the Russians were fighting the Mujahadeen, they weren't, the Russians were fighting the CIA who were arming, training and funding the Mujahadeen......people like Osama Bin Laden for example.

 

The reason Russia eventually pulled out of Afghanistan was because they realised they could never beat an endlessly US trained, supplied and funded Mujahadeen.

[easy-lift guy]

Seems a big coincidence how the bully boy nations can't wait to restore democracy to countries with oil/gas yet the civil wars and genocide in Africa goes quietly on with bu@@er all interference.

 

Remember the Iraqi WMD - good reason to invade (not oil) but no weapons ever found.

Who will be next? Hope they don't find oil in my back garden!

 

Not true, yellow cake was found and can be used as a WMD the balance went into neighboring countrys like Syria. Other African nations at one time were controled by other European nations much like the UK and common wealth nations. As in the past when requested countries like Belgium has sent forces into the Congo and other former colonies. This would include France as well.

Sad to say some African nations are doomed to fight one another as long as they can since it is what was done before other colonial powers came to incorporate them, only to grant them independence, With great power comes great responsiblity, Ben Parker.

easy-lift guy

Edited March 28, 2012 by easy-lift guy
spelling

[Mark Bolam]

Nothing is as it seems in Afghanistan.

 

My little bro (and his wife) have done several tours out there, and the more you delve into it the more complex the situation becomes.

 

Guys living in the hills near the border have no concept of being either Afghan or Pakistani, they simply belong to a tribe, and see nothing wrong with their simple lifestyle as poppy farmers.

 

Noone has ever won there, as Matty said, but Osamas lads were definately training there, and there is a certain attitude that 'it is better to fight them over there than over here'.

 

I just don't like the idea of simply giving up on something which has left over 400 of our brave lads (and lasses) dead, and many more cleaved and bloody.

 

We can't carry on as we are now though, but I can not offer a solution.

[MattyF]

I had mates at school who trained in Pakistan this was 20 years ago!! We used to take the piss out of Imran and fisal with there summer holiday story's of firing AK 47's and RPG's but I think these boys looking back on it now were telling the truth , I'm not anti Muslim but there has always been a difference between them and us.

Being an invading force just gives them more reason for a holy war which has been a long time in planning.

Afgahnastan may of been a training ground but bin laden was not found there !!

[MattyF]

Look at the war like this mark how many people died in the first hour of the Somme and they were not given a choice.

I have mates and family who have fought in Iraq and afgahnastan and it was there choice 400 in retrospect to troop losses is nothing... Not for one second I don't respect the sacrifice given but these boys and girls choose there jobs.

War is horrible but it's not about giving the world a better choice through democracy it's about natural resources that developing country's need and we take advantage of... Or a select few.