Campaign News

In a report to the Whitehouse the senior US commander in the field has said that without increased troop numbers the war could be lost? Should the UK increase its troop numbers and thus the risk of more KIA or is Afganistan a lost cause? Is it time to pull the plug and get out?

Looks like no-one want to pick up this hot potatoe Gibbo. Just been through a bunch of hand wringing in NZ about whether to send the SAS back for another tour. They have been sent back. Two images come to mind. One is of a young Taliban teenager whacking the shit out of 10 or eleven year old little girls as they cowered past him. Heaven only knows what misdameanor the ploncker thought they had committed, (being female?). The other image is of Taliban morons blowing up those ancient Buddas. History has shown us that Afganistan is unconquerable (unless your name is Alexander the Great). However the Taliban are nuts and imagine the hardships in particular for the woman, if they got back in control. Stay until the local forces can defend the locals, then get out asap.

I believe it is time to start running down our troop numbers in Afghanistan. What will we gain by staying ? . It is all very well for government to say we will get out when sufficient Afghan Army  numbers have been trained to take over, but I have my doubts about that. And can the farmers be encouraged to grow food crops instead of the much more profitable poppy ? I doubt that also. The Afghan 's have always been  a warlike nation, with tribe fighting tribe, and winning the fight against  the British Army going back to God knows when.However many more troops we send I believe it will all end in tears before bedtime.

I  noticed a General standing at Wootton Basset yesterday as the latest funeral cortege passed through, although no doubt there was still no high ranked representative from the MoD present. Another five or six of our splendid warriors will be returned next week. How many more ? Five killed and many wounded by the very police they were training. Like I said before , it is time to get out of Afghanistan before  the good people of Wootton Basset, and the veterans and others who travel some distance to be there can stand down ?

Well said Jim,

I can see both sides of the arguement but history shows it took us 40 years last time to gain order there and when we left it was back to business as usual. I don't think we need to put more of our limited resources on the line I feel our so called European allies should be more at the forefront doing their bit . We have lost too much of our cream of todays youth, it is time others stepped forward as this is a world problem not just British. Time our Politicians and Generals called for more to be done!

Changed my mind. Time to go now. Good luck to you Afghanistan.

So , now the figures are out in the open.A junior civil servant sent to Afghanistan  for  a  six month tour  as  part of his job, is paid  a bonus of  £6,750  A MONTH,  and a senior  bureaucrat  gets £8,250 a month extra.  Nice work if you can get it. I wonder if they realise, or if they are even interested to know, that a juniour infantryman receives an extra £595 top-up a month? Makes you want to spit, doesn't it.

Sorry, forgot to metion that the bureacrats are not deployed in the frontline, they work only  in bases, or might accompany a minister on walkabouts. Surely they do not also pick up the Afghanistan Medal as well, do they ?

at 03:06PM on Nov 16, 2009

So , now the figures are out in the open.A junior civil servant sent to Afghanistan  for  a  six month tour  as  part of his job, is paid  a bonus of  £6,750  A MONTH,  and a senior  bureaucrat  gets £8,250 a month extra.  Nice work if you can get it. I wonder if they realise, or if they are even interested to know, that a juniour infantryman receives an extra £595 top-up a month? Makes you want to spit, doesn't it.

Does not surprise me and I wouldn't mind betting they get a medal, not that they would know what to do with it , probably hang it on the xmas tree!!