Are British troops fighting for the Taliban?

[Gromit]

Our ally in Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai has said he will join the Taliban.

“If you and the international community pressure me more, I swear that I am going to join the Taliban,” he is reported to have said.

The General Election has kept this off the British news agenda, but with our troops in that country shouldn't we be debating it and our future in Afghanistan?

http://www.nytimes.co...ld/asia/05karzai.html

[bobjugs12]

R1. I have no problem with the title question.

[R1Geezer]

the you have a problem generally.

[bobjugs12]

R1, do you think i'm anti-british?

[R1Geezer]

If you do not find the title of the question offensive then you are at least a candidate.

[bobjugs12]

R1, I'm really keen to hear how I'm anti-british. This will be fun :)

[AB Editor]

Dear R1,

This is unnecessary. The question regards the following as far as I am concerned:

1. Whether Karzai will indeed join the Taliban
2. Whether moves which are being made now, with the aid of British troops, to make this more possible for him.
3. Whether Afghanistan should be a top agenda for the election.

The second is in part a conspiracy theory, but I see no Anti-British sentiment here?

And to call all "lefties" "anti-British" is far from fair. They are however, against the Britain you would prefer. That is the point of the election after all, an ideological battle between those who believe in on thing against those who believe in another.

If you cannot accept that people may have different opinions to you, you are in a very tough position.

Please refrain from swearing, it is hardly required.

Spare Ed

[R1Geezer]

don't be a tw&t, I have little to go on with you, I know Gromit well enough! So if you want to pick a fight go ahead but your just a bit part in this.

[bobjugs12]

Sorry mate. But i'm serving mob. I've been to Afghan a 'few' times. I've done 10 years in uniform, I've also been to a few other shitholes, and had people go out of their way to cause me immense ammounts of 'discomfort'. I marched on rememberance parades. I shook hands with royalty. I've been both applauded and spat at whilst in uniform. I was on Op Fresco covering the fire strikes.
So again, why am I ant-british?

[R1Geezer]

Ok ed my last post was for Bob

I'm just a little annoyed at Gromit, trawling the media to find anything that makes us look bad and somehow revelling in the fact that ouyr troops have been fighting and dying for an afghan leader that seems to support the Taliban all along.

[R1Geezer]

I'm just surprised bob that you find the idea that we are on the same side of the Taliban acceptable. I apoligise if I have caused offence bob, if someone who's been there tells me the sp then I'll listen. I just hope that the guys out there fighting realise that we at home are not entirely an ungrateful bunch.

[bobjugs12]

R1 I'm still waiting for the reasoning as to why i'm anti-british?

[AB Editor]

We, as a nation, are very good at messing this sort of thing up. We have to accept this as part of our history. We certainly can't revise it. It is what an esteemed friend of mine calls "The Bruises of Empire" - we're stuck with rather embarrassing mistakes!

I can't actually recall a time when we've invaded somewhere, installed a new leader, and it has all gone swimmingly?

This isn't to say we, again as a nation, have not done our bit globally or had any positive effects upon the world.

I take your point that this sort of thing can be emotive, it would be awful if it wasn't, but it is hardly the "lefties" fault!

Spare Ed

[R1Geezer]

you're not bob, I take that back, I tried to expalin above but you seem to require more, I'm happy to retract .

[bobjugs12]

Ed I agree. The complexities of the Afghan conflict are so vast that it's nigh on impossible to try and understand the whole thing.
I'm not ashamd of our past but i would be ashamed if we'd failed to learn the lessons we have from it.

[bobjugs12]

R1. What i was trying to get across mate, was that by questioning the events and conflicts that are taking place we are ensuring our own freedoms. I would hate to live in a nation where people felt they HAD to follow the party line. I belive massively in freedom, and enjoy conversations like this. It helps me understand the civilian mindset, and helps civilians understand the militaries.
I am proud of my job, I am proud of things that I have accomplished, and most of all I am proud of my nation. But (and to use a bit of a corny quote) "I may not agree with what you say, but i'll give my life defending your right to say it"

So, are we cool?

[bobjugs12]

just got your last message, sorry my laptops playing up lol

[R1Geezer]

yes all cool Bob.