The war in Afghanistan is a war of a new kind, being waged simultaneously on the security and development fronts. The battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people will determine the success or failure of the mission. But in our haste to win the support of Afghans, we forget that this is a battle that must be fought at home too. National opinion polls point to shrinking support for the mission. We are plainly losing the battle for European hearts and minds on Afghanistan. The consequences of this failure are dire. European troops and civilian experts on the front lines do not enjoy the moral support they deserve. At the same time the capacity of governments to strengthen or even renew their commitment to Afghanistan is now seriously limited. Each European country significantly involved in Afghanistan should, as a matter of urgency, set up an independent public review of its future commitment. These review commissions would evaluate the different options and propose a pragmatic way forward that reflects each country's national interest. They should also generate a substantial public discussion on why Afghanistan matters for Europeans.
Each European country significantly involved in Afghanistan should, as a matter of urgency, set up an independent public review of its future commitment. These review commissions would evaluate the different options and propose a pragmatic way forward that reflects each country's national interest. They should also generate a substantial public discussion on why Afghanistan matters for Europeans.
Not that I'm suggesting... No, I wouldn't do that...
With a new White House occupant likely to strengthen the US focus there, Afghanistan is a test to Europe's capacity to be a reliable and unified transatlantic partner.
So, that's the need to fight in Afghanistan. Not to actually achieve anything (and god knows we're certainly not achieving anything at the moment) but simply to demonstrate our blind obedience to the whims of the White House.
But he starts the argument with a lie;-
The battle for the hearts and minds of the Afghan people will determine the success or failure of the mission. But in our haste to win the support of Afghans, we forget that this is a battle that must be fought at home too.
"Our haste to win the support of the afghans...". Excuse me. Is this some variant of "The floggings will continue until morale improves" ? How does our behaviour of destroying villages to prevent them being used by the enemy help ? Or the torture that goes on at the airbases ? Of generally behaving as being above the law even in areas that are supposedly liberated ? Of bombing wedding parties with seemingly gay abandon ? Of destroying the only cash crop they can grow ?
all the while never addressing the systematic corruption in the afghan govt that renders most afghanis lives as nightmares of injustice and graft.
Yet somehow we in europe are supposed to ignore the blatant contradictory and self-defeating nature of our efforts in Afghanistan and ssport our troops on yet more widespread and pointless efforts that endup going in circles for the simple reason that there is no strategy, no political objective or control that would enable us to believe it's worthwhile.
right now we just seem to be on some random killing spree on behalf of a dictator. and we're suposed to support this barbarity ?
Not. In. My. Name keep to the Fen Causeway
