Afghanistan

[anotheoldgit]

Is there a news block on Afghanistan? If not why do we hear very little of what's going off out there, yet we hear plenty from Iraq and Palestine?

[Gromit]

There is no news blackout. There are two current news items about Afghanistan. Nato planes have killed a load of civilians and a suicide bomber has blown up a bus load of people in Kabul

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/06/18/wafghan118.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/06/17/ntroops417.xml

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/491E90E A-DB33-4AC3-8C2A-F327427BC5C8.htm

[Gromit]

With news that bad it might be an idea to have a blackout and spare us the misery.

[rabbitygirl]

I agree that we never seem to hear as much about Afghanistan as Iraq for instance. It began this way too. There was a long period of military preparation and activity before 'the man in the street' knew what was happening I can assure you.

[NJOK]

"The BBC begins a week of in-depth coverage of Afghanistan by asking its World Affairs editor, John Simpson, to consider if the Afghan government and the West can win the war against the Taleban."

From today's BBC News web site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/67 56125.stm

[Gromit]

And of course there was the 'Friendly fire' of Afghan Police last week...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/67 43409.stm

[kwicky]

We are like the Russians 10 years ago fighting a war thats unwinnable. Thats in spite of increasing our troops monthly. Lets clear out of these middle east conflicts!. Blair will not be held in esteem like Thatcher over the Falklands but maybe he and his cohorts are viewing things through rose tinted spectacles. Maybe the pictures from Afghanistan are too demoralising and we only seem to like triumphalism

[Gromit]

The UK presence in Afghanistan will need to go on for decades to help rebuild the country, British ambassador Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6220856.stm

[kwicky]

We are now not only fighting a war with the Taliban but with Al Qieda and extremists from Pakistan. In a few months the USA will withdraw from Iraq leaving us holding the baby in Afghanistan for years to come. Plan the withdrawal now and leave them to their poppy fields.