Afghanistan. It's over at last!
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I disagree slightly. I personally can't see how anyone of sound mind would consider there to have been a uniquely military solution to Afghanistan. Equally for there to be a solution then there had to be a problem in the first place.
I like Jackson's analogy that he uses in Soldier. It is one of a piece of rope of which the military is but a strand.
If there ever was a solution to Afghanistan the military was only ever going to be a strand in an integrated rope. I never saw much rope to be honest.
Lot's of people have tried and failed to 'solve' Afghanistan and quite a few of them have been Afghans.
I would also caution against too much bitterness. We military folk are here to serve, and there will always be some that disagree with individual ops. To add to the 'never should have gone' to Afghanistan brigade we have the 'shouldn't have gone to Iraq' bunch, the 'why did we get involved in the Balkans' lot...the 'Sierra Leone should be left alone' group...and before you know it we are down to QRA and SAR. One of which some would argue isn't a military task.
I like Jackson's analogy that he uses in Soldier. It is one of a piece of rope of which the military is but a strand.
If there ever was a solution to Afghanistan the military was only ever going to be a strand in an integrated rope. I never saw much rope to be honest.
Lot's of people have tried and failed to 'solve' Afghanistan and quite a few of them have been Afghans.
I would also caution against too much bitterness. We military folk are here to serve, and there will always be some that disagree with individual ops. To add to the 'never should have gone' to Afghanistan brigade we have the 'shouldn't have gone to Iraq' bunch, the 'why did we get involved in the Balkans' lot...the 'Sierra Leone should be left alone' group...and before you know it we are down to QRA and SAR. One of which some would argue isn't a military task.
Quote you'd have thought we'd have learnt from the First, Second & Third Afghan Wars - the place is not worth fighting over'
Some of us did. Many years ago, as the senior British Officer in theatre, I had a very interesting lunch with a very senior US politician. We discussed the situation in Afghanistan. This was long before the Brits and US got involved, but another country was, and not doing too well. I reminded the politician what happened to the Brits in the 19th century. He agreed that it would be madness to interfere in that country. Pity he was not in office some years later.
Some of us did. Many years ago, as the senior British Officer in theatre, I had a very interesting lunch with a very senior US politician. We discussed the situation in Afghanistan. This was long before the Brits and US got involved, but another country was, and not doing too well. I reminded the politician what happened to the Brits in the 19th century. He agreed that it would be madness to interfere in that country. Pity he was not in office some years later.
