There is something extraordinarily pointless about the death of six British soldiers today at the fag end of a war which we have lost, the purpose of which is long since vanished. Of course Afghans die daily in this war, which is not meaningless for most of them as it involves ridding their country of an extremely unwelcome and alien occupying force. Each death is a tragedy, but we can be forgiven for being most immediately struck by the deaths of our own.
I will set off for India in a week on the next stage of my research for my biography of Alexander Burnes, including his own terribly wasteful death in the First Afghan War. In 1840 and 41 the British Army fought two pretty reasonable battles in just the area of Helmand where the six new deaths have occurred. Both were similar affairs, with British forces numbering over 2,000, including artillery, cavalry and infantry, defeating much larger forces of Pashtun tribesmen. The artillery was criticial. Both tactical successes had no effect at all on the eventual disastrous result of the British occupation, which achieved nothing but death.
We are in alliance with an Afghan government and army dominated by Northen Alliance warlords, plus the renegade Karzai clan of Pashtuns, fighting on the losing side of a civil war to support a massively corrupt government, which is incompetent only in that we have a total misunderstanding of what it is trying to achieve. The purpose of the Afghan government is to use NATO forces to enforce a temporary monopoly of power by the warlords who control the government. This will enable them as long as it lasts to loot billions in aid money and control the booming heroin trade. Then when NATO leave, so will they with their billions.
Seen in this light, its own light, the Afghan government is extraordinarily efficient. It is only incompetent if you imagine its purpose is to establish western governmental institutions, the rule of law, schools, roads etc. It has no intention of doing any of that, except where a little bit of actual development is required to keep lootable aid funds flowing.
There will be no long – or even medium – term effects of our occupation, except for even greater ingrained hatred of the West in the Afghan population.
I wonder who will be the next soldier to die for that?
Afghanistan has been the ‘super powers’ war zone of choice for a long long time. The reason why many Afghans no longer know how old they are is because they have been used for target practice for so long they have lost track of linear reality. Every time it looks as though there will be a chance for the country to return to a fairly peaceful norm (eg the rise of Massud after the Russians pulled out) one of the super powers smashes everything again.
‘Solving Afghanistan’s problems’ – the super powers are the problem. We could pay them billions of dollars in compensation and allow them to eat and survive beyond the current average of 44. And promise never to use the place as a battleground again. That would be a start.
Trouble is, tribal areas are tribal areas. No-one’s going to create a metropolitan democracy in Afghanistan, and history shows again and again when the “civilisers” decide they can’t afford to continue and pull out, the tribal system and tribal economy return. It may be the system best suited to a country consisting in great part of physical barriers to travel and very limited resources. None of which, obviously, matters a toss to people who want to sell them crap and build pipelines across their land to stop the Russians (or, horror, the Chinese) monopolising Central Asian oil supplies…
Komodo,
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It seems that you are right and perfectly underlined major problems and it seems clear that tribalism on its own is not a major issue. But inter-tribal conflicts clearly are. You highlighted physical barriers that divide Afghanistan, but it is also true that whereas tribes are generally contained by these barriers, at the same time there conflicts between tribes not as much for land but for routes that are mostly used to export opium.
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It seems for many on this board that death from hands of its own is more acceptable than death from hands of invaders. Who know, but this might well be true for Afghans.
“Each death is a tragedy, but we can be forgiven for being most immediately struck by the deaths of our own.”
Perhaps that is the problem – being too forgiving of ourselves: until we accept that we share a common humanity and that the grief of Afghan parents and friends is no less or significant than that of “our own”, then there is little hope of changing this re-enactment of bloody history.
@ Passeerby,
” Another six families and their extended loved ones join in the grief that has befallen the Afghan war victims on both sides of the divide. Whilst those who perpetrated the crimes of ordering the mass murder, and the fatuous war in Afghanistan are freely going about their business of getting richer without any let or hindrance. The injustice of this all shall never be forgotten by those who shall remember the actual history.”
All so sad.
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Mike
OK I took your words too literally. Fair enough.
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I agree that the mainstream media usually just pass on the official propaganda without challenging it. That’s why when someone steps out of line and puts forward an alternative picture it ought to be recognised as a good thing.
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Craig works hard to get such views into the mainstream media but we know that most of the time no one is interested. If other people do manage to get such messages across to a wider audience that must be good too. It shouldn’t matter too much who does it – only what they say.
Let us recap on what the West/Empire/US and toadies have done for Afghanistan.
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1- Killed innumerable numbers of the Afghans.
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2- Bounced rubble, and rained so much ordnance on their lands that the place will be poisonous for generations to come.
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3- Destroyed the modicum of semblance the Afghans had achieved in running the own affairs, that is despite the machinations of the US and toadies and the USSR.
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4- Selected the UNOCAL employees and set these up as the Afghans’ dear leaders.
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5- Have bombarded the only hydroelectric power station working in the Kajaki dam, and then bought at huge expense a turbine and then parked it next to the dam for one day when time comes to install it, which in all probability by then the turbine has rusted and been sold for scrap in the Pakistan markets.
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6- Evangelized the Afghans and converted these to Christians, whom soon as the evangelists are out of sight will revert back to being Muslims (food for hymns program does wonders).
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7- Made shit loads of money through recycling the tax dollars through the Afghan war theater, and into the accounts of the those who initiated the Afghan war for the very purpose of riping-off the US and UK and NATO citizens taxes.
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However, there have been those soldiers whom would never have amounted to much of anything during the peacetime, yet these characters have been promoted, and bask in the lime light for their contribution in directing the mass murder in the name of “National Security”.
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Game, set and match to the charlatans and warmongers. Afghans dead point.
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However to keep the pot boiling just a little while longer, there is the concern for the Afghans getting down and dirty and killing each other, seeing as there is lots of them left standing at the end of the current shoot out.
the shared info is pretty helpful for professionals. thanks for sharing.http://www.emprestimopessoalibi.com
You missed out the heroin trade Passerby.
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The sanctimonious syrup coming out of ZBC today is appalling. Robert Hall who used to do the voiceovers for the hearse processions through Wootton Bassett is standing outside the Yorkshire Regimental HQ in Warminster, talking of the flowers, the children from the local schools, the prayers and the mourning.
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He was followed by the royal forelock tugger Nicholas Witchell who was in Leicester with the queen, the old lizard and and the new duchess. Ghastly drivel. We have many more months of this Jubilympics royal progress to come. The young killer prince is having fun in the W Indies.
Missed out the link.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2111652/Prince-Harry-Jamaica-takes-shooting-range-latest-leg-Caribbean-tour.html?ITO=1490
Chienfou: agreed.
Mary,
How very true, I am glad you added the trade in Heroin that has become a virtual monopoly of the Afghanistan, post the invasion of that country by the US and toadies.
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Resulting in much more misery and many more deaths across the globe that ought to be added to the overall tally of death toll of war on Afghanistan.
“They” seem to be more interested in statistics which is why it hurts so much when more than a couple of servicemen or women get killed.
They don’t count the civilian (collateral damage)victims of the conflicts.
We don’t do body counts said Rumsfeld.Which in Afghanistan is just as well.I lost count on how many wedding parties were massacred through airstrikes in the early phases of the war.Then came the drones, and the number of deaths for every missile seemed to be stuck on 13.Very unlucky ! There were of course always 1 or 2 important Taliban in there to justify the kids and the women.
10 years of war and only a few thousand troops dead ? I suppose its a raging success.The unemployed kids back home will think that stats are with them when they sign up.What they never find out is how many lives have been ruined by loss of limbs , eyes , sanity, humanity.
John Reid was very convincing when he said not a shot would be fired.I think he was just sticking to the script he’d been handed.We jumped in head first following Blairs strategy of Bush licking.
We shouldn’t be there and the boys shouldn’t be dying in Afghan dust.Cameron thinks Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes.
Shame he didn’t take time to read his books.
All the while all these wars have been going on, Israel has been joining the dots in the west bank after building the wall. Nothing like a good diversion eh ?
Never mind , we have sports on the TV every night of the week and a 6 pack cost next to nothing.And if you really want to party,there’s plenty heroin on the streets thanks to NATO.
That will take the pain of listening to bad news away.
Bob Dylan’s insight as cutting and relevant as ever:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/mastersofwar.html
Ditto Tom Lehrer’s genius satire:
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/t/tomlehrer3903/sendthemarines185498.html
Afghanistan’s stated problems, which are really nothing more than excuses to attack them, are:-
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* failed state status
* terrorist haven
* drug production
* tribal society
* oppression of women
* religious fundamentalism
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Most of these are false, exaggeration or misrepresentation. For example Opium production was almost non-existent before 2001 and the Afghans were willing to hand over CIA asset Osama Bin Laden, provided the Americans offered at least some evidence that he was responsible for 9/11. Most of the other stated ‘problems’ are the direct result of foreign interference, intervention or simply lies.
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The actual reason for the West being in Afghanistan is to appropriate and transport, through client states, the multi-trillion dollar prize of the Caspian Basin energy reserves to the West. The motivation for which is Europe’s dependence on Russian energy which is severely limiting the West’s ability to contain/control Russia politically and economically.
Can you not research your book here, Craig, via university websites and european libraries?
Apart from saving the dosh flying there, do you really have to add pointless pollution, on everyone elses back, to the pointless death of six young men?
No sweat I shall walk to London for a few times instead of taking the train, that should restore the stupidity balance.
One British and one Italian hostage held in Nigeria have been killed during a rescue attempt by Nigerian and U.K. forces… Cameron says it looks as if both hostages “were murdered by their captors before they could be rescued.”
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http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/10830346/
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Deja vu again?
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British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed today 36-year-old Linda Norgrove was killed by her captors during a raid
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319083/UK-aid-worker-killed-Afghanistan-U-S-special-forces-rescue-attempt.html
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British aid worker Linda Norgrove was killed by US grenade, admits William Hague
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/linda-norgrove-killed-us-grenade
David Flashman Cameron is completely out of his depth. I think he read too many Boy’s Own annuals.
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8 March 2012 Last updated at 18:04
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Nigeria rescue bid: Kidnapped Briton and Italian killed
A video of the two men was released to AFP news agency last year
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A Briton and an Italian abducted by gunmen in Nigeria last year have died in a failed rescue attempt, David Cameron has announced.
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He said it appeared Chris McManus – from north-west England – and Franco Lamolinara had been “murdered by their captors before they could be rescued”.
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British forces supported the Nigerian-led operation, Mr Cameron said.
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/..http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17305707
Not to mention Wham Bam Cam’s version of Bliar’s 45-minute rubbish. Except this time it’s Iran targeting London. Does he really think we’re going to stand for being hoodwinked into slaughter a second time in 10 years?
Forget the colours of the parties: it’s self-serving liars versus the human race.
(technical point) I agree with angrysoba: calling Cameron ‘Flashman’ is a compliment. Flashman was a roister-doisterer and an almost irresistible womaniser who had actually fought in wars (though as a sensible coward he tried to avoid it). He would have debagged Cameron and roasted him over a fire, and lifted his wallet for an encore.
Mike – I don’t think it matters whether people are likely to be hoodwinked or not. Most people didn’t believe it the last time around. All that matters is to get your version out there, stick to it, get all your media contacts to keep pumping it, and then brazen it out regardless of evidence to the contrary.
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The media is far more of a “he said/ she said” reporting mechanism than a fact-finding instrument now. It’s not interested in a truth, just presenting “both sides” of any given issue, whether it be global climate change, the GWOT, official vs unofficially sanctioned terrorism, religious cranks’ demands on our laws, how to run the economy, and more recently who’s actually to blame for the various financial meltdowns. As long as a lie is out there, it’s a case of “that’s our story and we’re sticking to it.” It gradually become established wisdom.
re Cameron: “C3PO made out of ham” was my favourite.
I was looking around for any updates in the case of the murdered girl on the Sandringham Estate – nothing – and came across this.
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5 March 2012 | By David Boderke
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A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.
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Queen’s Sandringham estate receives £7m farming subsidies from EU
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The Queen has received £7million in farming subsidies funded by taxpayers over the past ten years, it emerged yesterday.
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And the Duke of Westminster – one of Britain’s richest men – has been given around £6million.
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They are among a roll call of millionaire land owners who have accepted bonanza payouts from Brussels.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110261/Queens-Sandringham-estate-receives-7m-farming-subsidies-EU.html#ixzz1oEZKE35A
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Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. How I loathe the system we are living under.
I well remember Dear Leader Blair selling the Commons the invasion of Afghanistan on the grounds that this would end the heroin trade. I was less cynical then, and I bought the argument. If this had been achieved, it might almost have justified the exercise (had it been planned and conducted efficiently), but this, like most of Blair’s output, was a convenient fiction. Probably as many lives have been destroyed by Afghan heroin since 2001 as in the 11 years before it.The trade continues as a matter of political expediency as much as anything else. Add 400 dead, and 3000 severely injured, including 300 amputees, from UK forces alone. Add the rest, greatly outnumbering our casualties, many of them inoffensive civilians. What a waste.
@ Downwihthissortofthing,
BY JOVE – I THINK HE’S GOT IT:-
“The actual reason for the West being in Afghanistan is to appropriate and transport, through client states, the multi-trillion dollar prize of the Caspian Basin energy reserves to the West. The motivation for which is Europe’s dependence on Russian energy which is severely limiting the West’s ability to contain/control Russia politically and economically.”
Uzbek, you mention intertribal conflict. This is certainly relevant to the problem, but IMO it is much enhanced by the imposition from outside of “democratic” values. There is a much greater divide between traditionalist opponents and progressive lapdogs of the puppet regime than there was during the Russian or British Imperial occupations (when tribal differences seem widely to have been forgotten in the face of a common, purely military threat): to violence has been added competition for unprecedentedly unlimited cash and influence. I would predict that if NATO leaves, there will be an extremely unpleasant period when old scores are settled and blood feuds started during the occupation are worked out. Then neighbours will eventually realise that it is probably not in their interest to have more than a few token murders a year, the immensely empowered Taliban will exert a (brutal) policing presence, and a measure of order will be restored. It may even be possible for aware Westerners to travel unhindered, and be offered hospitality, as Newby and Carless were in the 50’s. That is still some years off, however.
Courtenay – it only took you eleven years to get there! Keywords: Unocal, Cheney, Halliburton…
Hameron?
When Taliban were in charge in Afghanistan, they had forbidden the production of opium, the price of the opium (dependent on the water content and potency of the crop) was around $4800 a(before the current dollar devaluation, in today’s terms it would be $7800). However, the price of the best opium is now around $1800 which in those days terms would be $600 clearly US have done a service to the drug cartels by reducing their initial costs, as well as rationalising the competition so that the drug lords and barons can live side by side, sort of rat and weasels lying side by one another (the lamb and lion stuff).
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So over all Afghan war, has been great for drug peddlers and their ever expanding markets, that is really good news for the economy! All the ill-gotten gains then have to be laundered through the banking sector, that can charge enormous charges to handle the hot money and cool it, making a killing in the process. Dunchyou luv the free market principles?
Interesting posts, but have any of you ever actually been to Afghanistan ? I have, and I think that some posters are assuming a lot about the Afghan psyche gleaned from print or other scources…no offence to anyone here, but methinks some posters should spend some time over there before pontificating on behalf of the Afghan population.