commander

err not it is not his job to give his life for his country...what an absurd statement.

Edo

Excuse me those were not MY words I'm jst one of you guys who hears that every now and then from those who dragged us into this war

commander

ok, apologies

Norm_uk

Blah blah I hate America blah blah I have no idea what police actions and peacekeeping are vs. invasion and expansion blah blah.

If only everything was so black and white...The mission in Afganistan makes a million times more sense than going into Iraq...but it won't succeed unless Pakistan gets it act together.

N.

Inselaffen

everybody who joins HM forces knows they face that risk. What is absurd is that they are not given the right equipment they need and which can save their lives!

commander

it is not his/her job to die for his/her country though..regardless.

Cry haddock

I think the risk to life is generally accepted, especially amongst those who joined post 9/11. However, i think the acceptance of this risk is balanced against a tacit understanding that they are only tasked with things worth doing. There is much bitterness that lives are wasted trying to put right things that should not have gone wrong. My opinion which i hope is fairly well thought through, is that the AFG campaign is worth the effort (in a way which Iraq was/is not) but that chasing after muppets who deliberately get themselves in shit is not. Spoke to a close relative last night - there were two wakes in his mess last week. Scary stuff.
CH

Edo

ok, heres another absurd statement. What has pakistan got to do with this occupation war mate? Blyme Russians never accused pakistan or any other country for that matter for their giant defeat in Afghanistan back in the 80s even though they employed 100 times more artillery to try and occupy that country. So why are WE so desperate to blame others for the mistakes that we are committing ourselves?

Inselaffen

it has a lot to do with this situation. no point getting the terrorist training camps out of Afghanistan if they are able to run freely in Northern Pakistan.

shiva

if you really dont get where pakistan comes into the whole islamic terrorism/afghanistan situation then i'd suggest an intensive course in "learning what the **** is actually happening and ditching rhetoric"

couple of hints, mental madrassas, support of terror by prominent factions within both the govt and intelligence services of pakistan, swat province, balochistan, drug traficing and financial aid to terror groups and warlords etc etc etc

Edo

Well, you didnt say who gives financial aid to who in Pakistan etc but if you really dont get who cultivated the seeds of jihadi-ism in that country then I'd suggest you get your bum off that couch and instead of just getting your 'knowledge' from sources like CNN and Fox, get some library membership and read some good stuff from the ex-CIA operatives to see what they have said about it and how it was done. Its not all as straight forward as you have been told over the past COUPLE of years I am afraid.

co durham boy

supply routes , sponsored terror organizations , arms factories , associated tribal areas with no governance , drug trafficking, recruiting ground for fundamentalists , cross border safe houses, money laundering , communication depots , weak central goverment , lawless provinces , freedom of cross border travel , religous madrases and not forgetting indoctrination of the uneducated impoverished local population......................if thats not enough im sure i can supply you with a few dozen more

Edo

Good God, looks like you've been there personally. So go on, please tell us some more

co durham boy

i actually have,i spent 6months there last year on the construction of the new runway at karachi airport,oh and my younger brother is currently serving with 3commando in helmand so iv got a little bit of insight of whats going on there at the moment.
its actually pretty hairy stuff,but he doesnt mind its his job and i think they,re doing the job for the right reasons,its people like my brother that make me proud to be british,living in sh*t all day, fighting a geurilla war in extreme conditions because thats his job,its people like my brother that make it possible for people to have a say maybe for you to have your say?
and to answer your question KARACHI, its a F***ING SH**HOLE

Edo

Oh so those people that you are branding as terrorists on here must be very tolerantI suppose. Cuz not only they let you live amongst them for 6 months but they let you came out alive, physically and mentally too well too.

But I must say that your brother is more of a concern to me cuz I dont want to see another news thread of the same sort on here from Afghanistan.