Are we losing the War in Afghanistan?

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by cashman

dont dispute the value of simpson n company roy, but cannot forsee a result if they bring journalists home, how do ya get a result against a foe who sees dying as n honour, is also au-fait with the terrain they are brought up in, i fear the brave forces are on a hiding to nowt oer yon.

Can see the logic in that......If they see dying as an honour.....Kill the Enemy by whatever means possible......without crying over spilt milk.
If yu are confroted with someone with a loaded gun an you have a loaded gun, are you going to ask what school he went to.....I think not.
I think our brave forces are subjected to unreasonable request from the powers that be 'Can I shoot this Barsteward Sir' or do I have to ask your permission?

[cashman]

if this was a conventional war, i would back our lads to stuff anyone, this lot are n invisible enemy,ya can't defeat what ya can't see. wish i was wrong but cannot see any result.

[Neil]

We do have those nukes still, might as well get some use from the billions spent

[steeljack]

think this is a different type of war from where British national servicemen were sent into 'combat' against the 'communists' in Malaya or the Mau Mau in Kenya to defend the Empire . There were no television cameras allowed to show the atrocities perpetrated by the British forces against local insurgents (think the BBC propaganda at the time ..Mad Mitch and the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in the Aden crater ....the guy at the time was a British hero )

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by steeljack

think this is a different type of war from where British national servicemen were sent into 'combat' against the 'communists' in Malaya or the Mau Mau in Kenya to defend the Empire . There were no television cameras allowed to show the atrocities perpetrated by the British forces against local insurgents (think the BBC )

I have thought long and hard before answering this, the Kenyan situation I am not aware of nor did I take part in that undertaking.
I never saw any mistreatment of the enemy in the Malay Insergancy nor did I see or encounter atrocities.
The order of the day was quite simple. If you are confronted by an armed insergent, kill him before he kills you.

Many of the commanding Officers in the Malay Conflict where Officers in WWII and had experienced the Japanese and Nazis..............Our lads are being killed by the dozen and the rule book should go on the back burner.

I think I'm inclined to side with Neil....Go for the kill

[cashman]

this discussion was taken at another business lunch today. conclusion was WHY? do they not just take out the bloody "Poppyfields" a relatively easier task using spray plane technique etc, after all that was supposed to be the first objective a few years back, as we were told- thats what funds the Taliban.

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by cashman

this discussion was taken at another business lunch today. conclusion was WHY? do they not just take out the bloody "Poppyfields" a relatively easier task using spray plane technique etc, after all that was supposed to be the first objective a few years back, as we were told- thats what funds the Taliban.

Cashy........Slow flying planes would be taken down in minutes.....Drones are too high....Nepalm is not allowed. This would be assumed to be an attack on the civilian population. High spray may finish up in Accy and destroy the crops on the allotments.
There are enough brains out there to resolve the situatioin but have they the balls to do it? or would that be politicaly correct?

We urgently need a Barnes Wallace

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Royboy39

Cashy........Slow flying planes would be taken down in minutes.....Drones are too high....Nepalm is not allowed. This would be assumed to be an attack on the civilian population. High spray may finish up in Accy and destroy the crops on the allotments.
There are enough brains out there to resolve the situatioin but have they the balls to do it? or would that be politicaly correct?

We urgently need a Barnes Wallace

napalm is not allowed, never stopped the yanks using it in viet-nam. my assumption would be- any civilian in the middle of a poppy field is fair game, simple as.

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by cashman

napalm is not allowed, never stopped the yanks using it in viet-nam. my assumption would be- any civilian in the middle of a poppy field is fair game, simple as.

Cultivating poppies is not a crime. many legitimate drugs are dependant on the poppy and i'ts yield.
The poroblem is the the excesses that the grower cannot sell at a reasonable price and is terefore tempted to sell on the open market.....Come in the Drug Barrons.
These people are not constricted by the same laws that we are, if a fisherman catches one fish too many, he has to thow it back.
I am of the opinion that if bullshine baffles brains then brains are lacking.
I suffer with all the lads and lasses that have died in this stupid conflict and having worn with pride the uniform of or Queen and country.
Take the brakes off and send the enemy to hell.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Royboy39

I am of the opinion that if bullshine baffles brains then brains are lacking.
I suffer with all the lads and lasses that have died in this stupid conflict and having worn with pride the uniform of or Queen and country.
Take the brakes off and send the enemy to hell.

my line also, it sure as hell worked with the Kamikaze squads lot, sure it made a hell of a mess after, but it stopped em.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Royboy39

Cultivating poppies is not a crime. many legitimate drugs are dependant on the poppy and i'ts yield.
The poroblem is the the excesses that the grower cannot sell at a reasonable price and is terefore tempted to sell on the open market.....Come in the Drug Barrons.
These people are not constricted by the same laws that we are, if a fisherman catches one fish too many, he has to thow it back.
I am of the opinion that if bullshine baffles brains then brains are lacking.
I suffer with all the lads and lasses that have died in this stupid conflict and having worn with pride the uniform of or Queen and country.
Take the brakes off and send the enemy to hell.

I don't agree that taking the brakes off will work in this case .... the Taliban is not an army; and it isn't really a group of insurgents. "Taliban" is an idea, a widely held belief founded in religion. Its one that has wide popularity in Afghanistan ... it can't be beaten, unless of course you turn the country into a radioactive parking lot. Even then the idea will live on in some other crap hole of a country I don't care about. Let's get out of there now. Leave them to it. Cut off aid. Boycott their hash (mmm, have to think about that one). If they want a theocracy; let 'em have one. That country is not worth one drop of Canadian, British, or American blood ... yet we're pouring it out in gallons. (I didn't metion the German or French blood ... wonder why?)

Support Our Troops/Appuyons nos troupes.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by Eric

I don't agree that taking the brakes off will work in this case .... the Taliban is not an army; and it isn't really a group of insurgents. "Taliban" is an idea, a widely held belief founded in religion. Its one that has wide popularity in Afghanistan ... it can't be beaten, unless of course you turn the country into a radioactive parking lot. Even then the idea will live on in some other crap hole of a country I don't care about. Let's get out of there now. Leave them to it. Cut off aid. Boycott their hash (mmm, have to think about that one). If they want a theocracy; let 'em have one. That country is not worth one drop of Canadian, British, or American blood ... yet we're pouring it out in gallons. (I didn't metion the German or French blood ... wonder why?)

Support Our Troops/Appuyons nos troupes.

Sorry Eric but have to disagree with that. If the troops pull out, aid is stopped exports there are banned then that gives justification that the west went in to stamp all over their beliefs and not to free the oppressed. That could lead to them becoming an example to others thus compounding the problem. The whole intervention in Iraq though with the same kind of ethos to free the people waas in my opinion more to do with oil than WMD's. Well that and the fact that Israel might have got peed of enough to nuke em. Afganistan is a country that for centuries given many mighty powers the international signal of defiance and as such there is no easy answer. The result many soldiers from certain countries dying fighting to free a country from an unjust system.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Well that and the fact that Israel might have got peed of enough to nuke em.

Why would that have been bad?

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by Neil

Why would that have been bad?

Israel nuking an arab state would be asking for a new Arab Israelie war with not the odd Arab State but them all. Besides the Americans back Isreal and need Iraqs oil reserves.

[Neil]

Radioactive oil might work better