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As a leader what would your position be.....:
Hi Johnny
I'm glad I don't have to make the call. Afghanistan has been called the "graveyard for foreign armies" for centuries. And with good cause. Look up the Anglo-Afghan War or the Russian occupation and you'll see how impossible it is for a relatively small army to control a hostile people in a mountainous region almost 10 times the size of Ireland. Throw in rampant corruption, extreme illiteracy, ethnic rivalries, grinding poverty where poppy growing is the only income farmers can rely on and you can see why the last foreign commander to score a decisive victory there was probably Alexander the Great!
The current effort has been going on for 8 years and achieved.........???? But if, even by some miracle NATO did 'win', they would have to be extremely careful not to repeat the error of Iraq. There any benefits from the quick military victory were lost due to the total absence of a plan to manage the post war environment.
To answer the original question, I would veer towards no. Any surge in troops would be nowhere near enough to to the job. And if the countries involved aren't prepared to commit the numbers required, they shouldn't waste time on half hearted measures.
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Afghanistan was not tamed by the British, Russians and nor will It will not be tamed by the Americans. It will not be tamed by the wider West. "The west should take care of our own security at our borders". Security is all about protecting your own perimeter and monitoring what comes in and happens inside, like internet firewalls and anti-virus software. EU security cannot continue to be quite passive and liberal; there is no such thing as soft security. Security, by its very definition, must be robust.
No, they should follow the history lessons of what Russia done - leave with their tail between their legs and let the Afgan people determine their own destiny....
Of course it should. and they should give them a free hand. This is a war for the survival of humanity. It's no longer about Afghanistan. It's about Pakistan & Iran and Central Asia and nuclear conflagration. In fact those calling for American withdrawal are calling for the extermination of Europe, Russia, China, India and the Muslim world. The only people who are relatively immune - so far - are the Americans.It's some way you guys have of wishing for a new American century.
No, it would be better off spending the money on education, infrastructure, hospitals and getting rid of corruption in Afghan politics. I support the Americans being in Afganistan, but they need to be fighting for something for the people, at the moment they are just fighting the taliban, they need to establish a good and stable society for the Afghans, so they don't go back to Taliban as soon as the Americans leave
A waste of lives ,money, and resources. They should learn from history how other invaders have failed in this region. The steady flow of returning flag bedecked coffins containing the bodies of young men has been ritualized in a somber ceremony here in the UK......It does nothing to hide the obscenity or utter futility of the whole exercise. Whilst politicians at Westminster cry crocodile tears over the mounting casualties, there is a growing anger amongst the people ,who do not share the same objectives as their leaders. Blair and Brown are deemed to be culpable for the mess of the UKs involvement in the war. Poor Obama has inherited this problem from Dubya and is currently a prisoner of a dodgy foreign policy and the whole military/industrial complex thingy.
Hey All,
It is sure is tough being a leader - take a look at the scathing attack from the former US vice president, Dick Cheney. He accused the president of dithering over Afghanistan and criticised the decision >> [Video]
The argument is valid both ways. As always it depends on your politcal and moral beliefs. If the West believes they are protecting themselves against terrorists and feel an obligation to give all nations a chance for Democracy then Yes.
However, you can argue that maybe we should try to understand the way other cultures work and not impose values. There might be a middle ground, without loss of life.
