Is Afghanistan a worth battle?

[AlfredJPruffock]

I was thinking of posting a similar poll here.

What are we doing in Afghanistan? Answer: looking for Bin Laden. We lost him years ago, and we should get out.

Frankly if a load of Ruperts and some squaddies want to get shot up in the desert they should do it with their own money.

Looking for Bin laden ? Why then did Bush himself declare that he was not interested in finding Bin Laden and the French security services tracked his wehrebaouts (thiw was POST Sep 11th) gave his co-ordinates to the US who did nothing.

No - the attraction for Afghanistan is the contunation of the Great Game - stategic importance for Oil and Gas Pipeline - follow the money.

And theres a fair maount of money in the Heroin trde which has been restarted thanks to the invasion.

[M_B]

No one has ever defeated the Afghans.

They cant be defeated in a western sytle war, these people are of a different mind set to us, 1000 afghan soldiers killed are just replaced by another 1000 converts.......and so on.......

Alexander the Great and Genghis Kahn both invaded Afghanistan. Genghis Kahn's tactic was simple - kill everyone. Alexander the Great had a more difficult time.

Technically we are there to fight the Taliban rather than the Afghans, but I agree we are going to be there for the next 30 years at this rate, especially as the majority hide in Pakistan and I'm not so sure the Afghans really want us there. We should be looking at other options you would have thought.

The overly cynical side of me thinks though that the fighting will continue as it provides funding and a testing ground for military industry, protects the oil\gas pipeline in Afghanistan and helps to provide fear for introducing increased security laws at home. All in all the profit and political benefit from sacrificing 100+ of our troops annually will outweigh thoughts of bringing them home.

[swamp]

Looking for Bin laden ? Why then did Bush himself declare that he was not interested in finding Bin Laden and the French security services tracked his wehrebaouts (thiw was POST Sep 11th) gave his co-ordinates to the US who did nothing.

Link?

No - the attraction for Afghanistan is the contunation of the Great Game - stategic importance for Oil and Gas Pipeline - follow the money.

Old article, but:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1626889.stm

"...it simply is not true that Afghanistan is the main alternative to Russia.

On the contrary, very few western politicians or oil companies have taken Afghanistan seriously as a major export route - for the simple reason that few believe Afghanistan will ever achieve the stability needed to ensure a regular and uninterrupted flow of oil and gas."

[minestrone]

It keeps Ross Kemp away from another Eastenders come back and for that alone the deaths are worth it. They gave up themselves so that we may live.

[PM-Junkie]

...The overly cynical side of me thinks though that the fighting will continue as it provides funding and a testing ground for military industry, protects the oil\gas pipeline in Afghanistan and helps to provide fear for introducing increased security laws at home. All in all the profit and political benefit from sacrificing 100+ of our troops annually will outweigh thoughts of bringing them home.

You make an excellent point. I have long held the belief that US foreign policy is dictated by the US "defense" industry (now THERE'S a laughable term!), coupled with the large number of the Bush and previous administrations who held Israeli/USA dual citizenship (not sure about the current administration).

I was chatting to a colleague over a beer at the weekend who made the point that if the world's economy can move away from a dependency on the USA - something that the recession if it continues will probably make inevitable anyway - there is a distinct probability that the USA will effectively be in chapter 11 bankrupcy...and that will be the best thing for world peace since Hitler died.

An interesting point.

[M_B]

I was chatting to a colleague over a beer at the weekend who made the point that if the world's economy can move away from a dependency on the USA - something that the recession if it continues will probably make inevitable anyway - there is a distinct probability that the USA will effectively be in chapter 11 bankrupcy...and that will be the best thing for world peace since Hitler died.

An interesting point.

The even more cynical out there would point out that the dollar is the reserve currency and while that is true the world will always be dependent on the US economy. Iraq and a few other countries tried to change that situation by trading oil in Euros and making the Euro the reserve currency..... but then it was invaded for having weapons of mass destruction.

[expat]

You make an excellent point. I have long held the belief that US foreign policy is dictated by the US "defense" industry (now THERE'S a laughable term!), coupled with the large number of the Bush and previous administrations who held Israeli/USA dual citizenship (not sure about the current administration).

I was chatting to a colleague over a beer at the weekend who made the point that if the world's economy can move away from a dependency on the USA - something that the recession if it continues will probably make inevitable anyway - there is a distinct probability that the USA will effectively be in chapter 11 bankrupcy...and that will be the best thing for world peace since Hitler died.

An interesting point.

Look on youtube for Eisenhower's farewell speech from 1953, where he warned of the "military-industrial complex". It rings true more than ever.

I do not believe that the US will give up its position of primacy without a fight.

They tried to destabilise the Euro, the only risk the dollar has seen since the British Empire, causing wild swings in its value in its early days (too high or too low, either would harm it).

They split off the UK by getting us in the war, and out of the euro (if we priced oil in euros, so would Norway; then Russia would too unless bought off; and the dollar would be gone).

They back Israel, who will do any dirty work needed in the Middle East, because if the US goes down, so will they.

[BoredBloke]

It keeps Ross Kemp away from another Eastenders come back and for that alone the deaths are worth it. They gave up themselves so that we may live.

It's better than that - he could get shot!

But having watched the last series and now this one I realised that you never get to see who is shooting at them. It's always in a compound a few 100 meters away. It could be anybody just setting it up for the telly.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Link?




Old article, but:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1626889.stm

"...it simply is not true that Afghanistan is the main alternative to Russia.

On the contrary, very few western politicians or oil companies have taken Afghanistan seriously as a major export route - for the simple reason that few believe Afghanistan will ever achieve the stability needed to ensure a regular and uninterrupted flow of oil and gas."

OK -

Bush’s priorities have always been skewed. Just months after declaring he wanted bin Laden “dead or alive,” Bush said, “I truly am not that concerned about him.” Turning his attention away from bin Laden, Bush trained his focus on Iraq — a country he now admits had “nothing” to do with 9/11.


You can google that qoute for yourself.


Things ain't what they seem - you are aware that Bin was a CIA Agent ?? Right ??

[ace00]

OK -

Things ain't what they seem - you are aware that Bin was a CIA Agent ?? Right ??

Trying to deflect attention Mr. Pruffock? If that is your name........

Everyone knows OBL was a Mossad man.