Afghanistan

[pastafarian]

...and after all we've learned, all the innocent people that have died, the lives it has ruined, the money that has been wasted, the terrorists that it has created - some people STILL support military intervention in Iraq and inevitably Syria.

I am with you on this.

The heart says we should have humanity and try and help the innocent women,men and children being massacred by IS in Iraq and Syria.

My brain agrees with you and says sod them.......they are not worth it,We should just ignore the problem and walk away,no more British blood should be spilled.

If we just left them all to it and gave them enough time they will eventually end up annihilating each other anyway and do the planet a massive favour by ceasing to exist.

 

[pastafarian]

We should also stop this mad policy of stopping British Jihadis going over there,we should be encouraging them to travel if anything,the less Jihadi freaks in this country the better in my opinion,they are likely to die a horrible death anyway over there so surely its a win win situation.

 

[El Presidente]

And not attacked by Afghanistan either. We still wine and dine the country responsible for 9/11.

But they buy arms from us, so that's okay, business is business after all.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Bollocks.
This war had nothing to do with us. It was Americas war, for quite a specific reason. They were attacked, not us. Our role was merely to give credibility to Americas attacks, and subsequent occupations.
Dont foolishly believe otherwise.

7/7?

 

[somerset]

So after those 453 deaths of our troops and thousands of injuries as well as the billions spent the Taliban are stronger than ever and poppy growing is at record levels and the fact that our actions have helped to radicalise more Muslims both in Afghanistan and at home - what should be our next move? Go back in?!

I think you selected the wrong comment from the stock list of Guardian readers responses,.....my comment was in response to DIP....have another read and see if you can get it right this time.

 

[somerset]

..and why would they have wanted to do that exactly?

Oh DIP, if only we had the answer to that question...... you know it might simply be down to a misdirected religious urge to wipe out anybody who isn't towing the Islamic Caliphate line, who isn't prepared to return to the 15th century levels of intolerance, ignorance and brutality.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Bollocks.
This war had nothing to do with us. It was Americas war, for quite a specific reason. They were attacked, not us. Our role was merely to give credibility to Americas attacks, and subsequent occupations.
Dont foolishly believe otherwise.

it was another of Blairs wars, took this country to more wars than any other Prime Minister in the 20th Century, make no mistake the British Army want to be on active service, it keeps it up to date and sharp. The loss of every British and Commonwealth soldier should be mourned by us all but no one forced these guys to sign up and many wanted to go as a 'raison d'etre'. Those who question the war, should not link it to the dead as some sort of justification for not going. No war has any good outcome to the dead and injured or those left behind. Do any of the comments on this thread come from ex servicemen who have served in a conflict?

 

[pastafarian]

..and why would they have wanted to do that exactly?

ask them

these lunatic muslim freaks were happy to kill innocent westerners at Luxor and murder innocent westerners from a vast array of countries at 9/11 well before anyone went into Afghan or Iraq.

They like to kill westerners.......its in their blood and all their videos........wake up you fool........us westerners are the new Untermenschen when it comes to the opinions of the fascist islam jihadi community

 

[el punal]

Bollocks.
This war had nothing to do with us. It was Americas war, for quite a specific reason. They were attacked, not us. Our role was merely to give credibility to Americas attacks, and subsequent occupations.
Dont foolishly believe otherwise.

So where do you stand on the number of British citizens killed, sorry, murdered in the 9/11 attacks, let alone the London bombings of the 7th July. Oh, of course, that has nothing to do with us.

 

[daveinprague]

So where do you stand on the number of British citizens killed, sorry, murdered in the 9/11 attacks, let alone the London bombings of the 7th July. Oh, of course, that has nothing to do with us.

No matter how you put it. The 911 attack was an attack on the the Americans. Dressing it up as an international attack because other nationalities were killed is poor. There were other nationalities on the Lusitania.
London bombings? The bombers clearly stated that the reason for the attack was Briitish involvement in the war (fighting for America) in Iraq.
The Luxor attacks was an attack to de stabilize the Egyptian government, attacking tourists in order to bring down the Egyptian economy, not specifically because of them not being muslims..
I realise there are some of you who would llike to think that every muslim wants to kill you, just because youre not a muslim Completely daft, but there you go, I cant change that, those are your issues.

 

[JCL666]

The ridiculous thing (apart from Bin Laden being supported by the US when fighting the Soviets), is that the Afghan government post 9/11 did negotiate with the US in order to try and bring Bin Laden to justice.

I've no doubt that in a few years, the Taliban will be controlling significant parts of the country again.
Based on what we've seen after the US/UK forces withdrew from Iraq I think Afghanistan is in for a very tough time.

I saw a post on FB where the wife of a British soldier who had died said that the war wasn't worth it. I think her opinion is far more valid than mine.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

No matter how you put it. The 911 attack was an attack on the the Americans. Dressing it up as an international attack because other nationalities were killed is poor. There were other nationalities on the Lusitania.
London bombings? The bombers clearly stated that the reason for the attack was Briitish involvement in the war (fighting for America) in Iraq.
The Luxor attacks was an attack to de stabilize the Egyptian government, attacking tourists in order to bring down the Egyptian economy, not specifically because of them not being muslims..
I realise there are some of you who would llike to think that every muslim wants to kill you, just because youre not a muslim Completely daft, but there you go, I cant change that, those are your issues.

this same old line is getting boring now

no one thinks all muslims want to kill any non muslim

all some people want is to protect their own identity,just like muslims do

 

[Hotchilidog]

But they buy arms from us, so that's okay, business is business after all.

Indeed. Can't get in the way of business.

 

[Brovion]

7/7?

That took place AFTER we went into Afghanistan. Ditto Lee Rigby.

 

[daveinprague]

this same old line is getting boring now

no one thinks all muslims want to kill any non muslim

all some people want is to protect their own identity,just like muslims do

..yet on NSC, some people say 'They like to kill westerners.......its in their blood and all their videos........wake up you fool........us westerners are the new Untermenschen when it comes to the opinions of the fascist islam jihadi community' or even 'you know it might simply be down to a misdirected religious urge to wipe out anybody who isn't towing the Islamic Caliphate line, who isn't prepared to return to the 15th century levels of intolerance, ignorance and brutality.'

 

[brighton bluenose]

I am with you on this.

The heart says we should have humanity and try and help the innocent women,men and children being massacred by IS in Iraq and Syria.

My brain agrees with you and says sod them.......they are not worth it,We should just ignore the problem and walk away,no more British blood should be spilled.

If we just left them all to it and gave them enough time they will eventually end up annihilating each other anyway and do the planet a massive favour by ceasing to exist.

Yeah - perhaps we should have done that when Hitler invaded Poland too?

 

[father_and_son]

Bollocks.
This war had nothing to do with us. It was Americas war, for quite a specific reason. They were attacked, not us. Our role was merely to give credibility to Americas attacks, and subsequent occupations.
Dont foolishly believe otherwise.

And they weren't even attacked by the Afghan nation. They were attacked by a loosely associated group of fanatics who managed to pull off a coup in PR terms. The subsequent retaliation against a nation state give the terrorists EVERYTHING they wanted, credibility, support, the moral high ground among their local people. Regardless of the rights and wrongs on each side, I know which group has been more successful in achieving it's goals!


With a handful of obvious exceptions, there is no "EVIL" in war (or indeed the world), just people doing the wrong thing for what they believe were the right reasons. Only Hollywood believes there are "Good Guys" and "Bad Guys". And one man's 'terrorist insurgents' is another man's 'freedom fighting resistance' - its all about perspective and who gets to write the history books afterwards!

 

[somerset]

..yet on NSC, some people say 'They like to kill westerners.......its in their blood and all their videos........wake up you fool........us westerners are the new Untermenschen when it comes to the opinions of the fascist islam jihadi community' or even 'you know it might simply be down to a misdirected religious urge to wipe out anybody who isn't towing the Islamic Caliphate line, who isn't prepared to return to the 15th century levels of intolerance, ignorance and brutality.'

Well quoted you dullard, you are the eternal expert at twisting, wriggling and generally distorting....... your views are single stream, they don't have even the thinnest veneer of context alongside the comments you are trying to challenge, you simply troll out your party line, the party that is first and foremost anti-uk, anti-western, anti-establishment, pro-terrorist.

If we are being attacked simply because we are involved in these anti-jihadi actions, why then, to extend your logic, are there not beheadings and bombings going off in your neck of the woods?.... My family and friends have served in both Iraq and Afghan with Czech special forces...... mad Max's the lot of them.

Britain is just an ideological target, symbolic if you like, the former bad boy colonial crusading masters, we were a target even if we didn't commit so much as a single bullet.

 

[Czechmate]

Well at least the US got their man in charge of the country (like they are trying in so many countries) a democratic/capitalism sort of guy who went to college in the US and was high up working in the world banking organisation . The US only like to listen to politicians/business people in large cities in Afghanistan , why not go and visit a family in a mud and straw hut many miles from anywhere , who probably are not even registered to vote .

There are 30million plus people in Afghanistan and only 12m registered to vote , so unless many millions are underage it doesn't seem very democratic to me ? No wonder the locals are restless !

I heard some weeks ago that the Taliban are willing to talk peace with the authorities but only when all outside influence has gone , may be bollocks but just saying like .

 

[somerset]

.......only 12m registered to vote , so unless many millions are underage it doesn't seem very democratic to me ? .

That 12 million more than was allowed under an Islamic Sharia Regime.

'Just saying like'

Note: 16m of voting age, 8m voted, recorded at just over 50%...... reasonable considering the circumstances of anti democratic attacks etc.