Friday 7 August 2009

Afghanistan - The Rising Toll of an Unwinnable War



Three more of our soldiers were killed yesterday and one seriously injured when their patrol came under attack in southern Afghanistan. The soldiers were all from the Parachute Regiment and were all members of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) which was formed to add extra firepower and assault capability to the SAS and Special Boat Service (SBS).

This takes the fatality toll in Afghanistan to 195, of whom 163 died in action.

The loss of three members of the SFSG will be a hugh blow to the British Task Force in Helmand.

More unnecessary suffering for their families and friends. This unwinnable war is destablising the UK not protecting it. Future generations will pay because terrorists like the Taliban will never forget those involved and will seek revenge.

Source: The Times

14 comments:

Witterings from Witney said...

Could not agree more - what the hell are we actually doing there in the first place?

Demetrius said...

And how many Afghans are now in the UK?

subrosa said...

We're ensuring the US are still our best friends WW. Can't think of any other reason.

subrosa said...

No idea Demetrius, does anyone?

Clarinda said...

Subrosa - I hesitate to suggest but it is the US who are endeavouring to ensure that we just believe that we are their best friends or as in this circumstance - mercenaries without the cash incentive. The best friend of the US is money and their bestest friend is imperial and homeland protectionism?

Catosays said...

We should get out of there as soon as we can. There is no good reason for us to be there at all. If we concentrated on strengthening our borders and exerting stringent passport/entry conditions, we'd have no problem.
Having said that, we ARE there and it behoves us to give our troops the best possible equipment and our unequivocal support.

subrosa said...

Clarinda, yes of course looking at it from the US view you are entirely correct.

'Mercenaries without the cash incentive' is a perfect description.

subrosa said...

Indeed Cato, but it also behoves us to do our very best to get them out of there.

The more public disquiet about it the better.

Anonymous said...

Not so much best friends Subrosa, more I suspect that we are ensuring that the US doesn't vote us off the Security Council, reducing us to just an ordinary nation rather than a world power.

America has done that kind of thing before.....Taiwan once represented Asia until Nixon had his little love affair with Mao and cut Taiwan loose.

In order to look as if we are still important teh UK Prime Minister has to do what his American boss says, and thus remain useful on the Security Coucil.

Anonymous said...

I was at first for this war because i thought having a huge country in the hands of terrorists would be disastrous for the world.

Several years and many British deaths later little has changed in the world of terror. I do recognise NATO has made some progress in the country but is it really worth it ?

The real problem i have with this war is the age of some of the troops that have been killed.

Now i know the young lads who sign up to the army are told of the dangers of war and they are well aware of the consinquinces and want in on the action but i cant get my head round why we are sending lads so young into the front line.

Some had just turned 18 and a few weeks later they had been killed. I seriously would like to see an age limit of 21 and over for front line duties and at least give the young lads a wee bit longer at life.

Im in no way favouring one age group over another but im just wearing my moral cap and i know thousands of young soldiers died in the great wars but we are talking about a regional conflict and not a world one with millions of troops.

Ollie Cromwell said...

I am fuming that while tour brave soldiers are being killed Mandelson Is Running Britain From Corfu.

So the PM, His Deputy, his Minister of Defence are all on hols and the man they have left in charge is lying on a sun lounger at his billionaire buddies pad in Corfu. Grrrrrrrr.

subrosa said...

Ollie, mu fury knows now bounds believe me but I can't have a blog where my personal opinion is all and doesn't allow for the opinions of others. That would be inward thinking and I certainly don't approve of that.

Meanwhile I entirely agree with you. A damned disgrace we have in power and we're not doing anything about it. That's another damned disgrace.

subrosa said...

Yes of course Tris, I suppose the Security Council is all that's left of the British Empire type days.

subrosa said...

Spook, what a thoughtful post. It's so difficult working out an age for anyone to have to fight in these unjustifiable wars.

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