Today is Armed Forces Day and an opportunity to show our support for our troops - from the new cadet to the oldest veteran. The contribution of the territorial army must not be forgotten either in these days of war.
Yesterday, at a G8 meeting in Canada, David Cameron announced he wanted our military home from Afghanistan before the end of this parliament.
He is to have a private conversation with Barack Obama this weekend. One point he should make clear is that the British military are no longer an extension of the US. We have the capabilities to make our own decisions here and Mr Obama ought to be left in no doubt that we intend to do just that. We are present in Afghanistan as part of NATO and not the US.
I'm still waiting for an honest reason as to why were are at war with Afghanistan. Lots of talk about strategy and assessment but no defined outcome other than a 'more stable government'. It's common knowledge that Afghanistan will never have a centralised stable government. The culture there is so difference from western societies and we have no right to intrude or inflict our culture upon the Afghans.
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2 comments:
An American military chap was on BBC Radio the other day explaining that great inroads were being made on the corruption that is endemic in the Afghan Government.
What we regard as 'corruption' is to Afghanis the normal way of doing business so who are we to try and 'stamp it out'. How would we feel if some outside power tried to tell us that "banking was usury" and tried to stamp that out to make us better people?
Leave now, let them get on with it. As someone else has pointed out. If the Soviets with similar overwhelming 'power', easier access and little regard for Human Rights could not impose their version of stabiltiy why do we suppose that we can?
I don't believe there have been any inroads banned and I doubt if you do.
Exactly, that's the way the people live and want to live or they'd do something about it themselves.
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