The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on February 20, 2017, 11:58:16 am
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Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon hints more British troops are needed to avoid 'collapse' of Afghanistan
'If it was right to go in, it has to be right not to leave before the job is done as well as we can do it. If this country collapses, we here will feel the consequences, very directly'
Rob Merrick Deputy Political Editor
@Rob_Merrick
2 hours ago
22 comments
Afghan security personnel remove a damaged vehicle from the site after a roadside bomb explosion at the Dasht-E-Barchi in Kabul Getty
The Defence Secretary has hinted that more British troops will be needed to prevent the “collapse” of Afghanistan – more than two years after the end of combat operations.
Sir Michael Fallon painted a bleak picture for the war-torn country where 456 British soldiers have died since 2001, amid heavy fighting between the Government and the Taliban.
He told the Munich Security Conference: “If it was right to go in, it has to be right not to leave before the job is done as well as we can do it.
"If this country collapses, we here will feel the consequences, very directly. There could be three to four million young Afghan men sent out by their villages to migrate westwards, and they are heading here.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/defence-secretary-afghanistan-more-british-troops-sir-michael-fallon-collapse-deployment-munich-a7589241.html
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One of our Generals said this the other day as well.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/09/top-us-general-says-afghanistan-war-at-stalemate-more-troops-needed.html
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Let the Russians have it.
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Not an option on humanitarian grounds. (I know, dirty words)
The Afghans - the regular ones, not the Talis - are neutral to fine with Brits, Aussies and Americans. They all hate Russians passionately though and Russia going in will lead to a ridiculous death toll.
There's only two mainstream options with Afghanistan:
1/ Walk away. The worst of the terrorist nests are cleared out, so leave and let them sort out their own problems.
2/ Increase forces and basically do a house to house purge of the entire country, then make them a protectorate until they get something approaching a functional system going. I'm not saying a western style democratic system, necessarily, but something that works.
Neither option is particularly appealing, especially with the mountains (there's not really such a thing as a border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, it's more like a separate client nation of both bigger nations).
There is a third option which is never talked about:
3/ Partition. Split the country into it's three more or less autonomous regions and pick one to support, a la Yugoslavia. Horrible optics as far as international politics goes, but it's workable. Might even ease tensions off in Kashmir if Pakistan has an opportunity to expand it's legal influence north and west. :shrug:
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One of our Generals said this the other day as well.
I think between the two of them the meaning is clear, a troop build up.
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WWII was fought and won on several continents in four years.
Now we spent over 15 years in Afghanistan, "winning hearts and minds," and assorted foolishness, avoiding all out destructive warfare.
We ask Americans and Brits to die and lose limbs, so the mothers of the terrorists will be spared.
Leave, allow precisely zero "refugees" from Afghanistan, and write off the lives over 15+ years to learning experience.
We learn too slowly these days. A noteworthy book was written by James Michener, 1963 titled "Caravans," and it dealt with the utter futility of expecting the afghan people coming into modern times.
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WWII was fought and won on several continents in four years.
Now we spent over 15 years in Afghanistan, "winning hearts and minds," and assorted foolishness, avoiding all out destructive warfare.
We ask Americans and Brits to die and lose limbs, so the mothers of the terrorists will be spared.
Leave, allow precisely zero "refugees" from Afghanistan, and write off the lives over 15+ years to learning experience.
We learn too slowly these days. A noteworthy book was written by James Michener, 1963 titled "Caravans," and it dealt with the utter futility of expecting the afghan people coming into modern times.
Leave, and nuke the poppy fields.
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Leave, and nuke the poppy fields.
Some say that would create a heroin shortage, and drive prices up.