Pathetic;

The US commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan has apologised over reports that foreign troops had “improperly disposed” of copies of the Koran. In a statement General John R Allen ordered a full investigation. “When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them,” he said. Reports of the alleged Koran burning have led to a large protest outside the US air base at Bagram outside Kabul.

WHY are we still in this accursed country?

Well that didn’t take long. All too predictably, actions have consequences:

“An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources said [...]

“In his initial confessions, he said that he was strongly motivated to kill the soldiers when he saw the video of a foreign soldiers urinating on Afghan corpses,” the intelligence source said

Yes, the Taliban do worse, as was often said. Even so, professional soldiers should not mistreat enemy dead. They should not do so for dignity’s sake and their own discipline. Most of all they should not do so because it results in your comrades paying the price. Many excused what the Marines did. Some of it was understandable. A few blowhards talked big about Taliban corpses and pig fat. They have gaps in their history. Some who should know better told others to shut up because war is Hell. Yes it is, as four grieving families are now discovering.

Look, this is beyond a joke and we need to GET OUT of Afghamistan, keep the drones flying so we can kill those who may seek to harm us. Why? Well, just consider this;

Taliban fighters are being paid £100 a month to stop attacking British troops in Afghanistan, it was revealed yesterday. Insurgents are given monthly payments and are allowed to keep their deadly AK47s and other rifles under the Nato-approved ‘reintegration’ programme, but have to hand over larger weaponry.

They are also effectively given an amnesty, meaning they will not face trial even if they have attacked and killed British forces, or committed other atrocities, such as the murder of women and children.

I totally disapprove of this folly and quite honestly the mission in Afghanistanhas become increasingly twisted and bent out of all recognisable shape. We went in to remove the Taliban from power as they had facilitated Al Queda and Bin Laden. Ten years on, we are actually PAYING the Taliban not to kill our soldiers and some seek to have them restored to Government. This muddle headed approach only yields dead bodies and moral weakness. There is no coherent vision and no obvious benefit to US in staying there. Get out.

This is how low we have now fallen in Afghanistan;

Members of the Taliban who give up their fight are being paid £100 a month and will be allowed to keep their guns in a new initiative to end the insurgency. The “reintegration” programme, which has the full support of Nato, is intended to keep them from attacking troops from the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force (ISAF). Those who have attacked and killed British forces are also effectively given an amnesty, which means they will never be put on trial.

We should leave NOW. This is just embarrassing.

It’s just as well kooks and extremists who don’t intend starting endless wars do not direct foreign policy eh? Otherwise we might not have such desirable outcomes as this, reported in the NYT:

The children were from two families and aged between 4 and 12. The reporting is just words on a page of course, but to those families it’s horrifically real. Their children were slaughtered, blown apart, ending up as dismembered, blackened bits of meat. Still, they hate us for our freedoms, as we’ve been told many times.

“I have been to the scene and haven’t found a single bit of evidence of bombs or any other weapons. The Americans did a serious crime against innocent children, they will never ever be forgiven.”

Well, maybe not.

I read that Afghan children whose asylum claims have failed may be sent back to Kabul by the UK from next year. Good.

European refugee groups have warned they risk ending up in orphanages in a war zone. One children’s rights organisation says the move may be unlawful because of a recent Supreme Court ruling. But the Home Office, which is working with three other European countries, says it will affect only 16- and 17-year-olds whose families can be traced. More Afghan children than any other nationality seek asylum in the UK.

I wonder WHY the UK is such a preferred destination for Afghans? Might it be in any way linked to our softer than jelly Welfare system? They may be poor out in Afghanistan but they are clearly not stupid.

Yes, I know that Generals should keep their political opinions to themselves but even so, isn’t it a little refreshing to hear some truth spoken?

A senior US commander has been dismissed after he made disparaging comments about Afghanistan’s leaders. Maj Gen Peter Fuller, deputy commander of Nato’s Afghan training mission, said in an interview with Politico the country’s leadership was “isolated from reality.” Maj. Gen. Peter Fuller, deputy commander of the American-led NATO effort to train and equip Afghan security forces, told POLITICO in an interview that top leaders in the Afghan government had not fully recognized the sacrifices in “treasure and blood” that the U.S. was making for their security and recalled that a senior Afghan official even demanded the transfer of tanks just so they could be used for parades.

As you know, I do not support US/UK military remaining in Afghanistan any longer. They are target practise for savages and their sacrifice is not appreciated by Karzai and his pals. You will remember that Karzai recently said his country would side with Pakistan in any war against the USA. Talk about ungrateful! Maj General Fuller should have kept his opinions private, that’s the rule, but it sure as heck does not stop those opinions from being 100% correct.

The cutting edge;

“An extreme Muslim group which caused outrage by burning a poppy last Remembrance Sunday is planning further disruption on November 11, with a twisted ‘Hell for Heroes’ campaign. The demo, which mocks the charity for injured soldiers Help for Heroes, is due to take place outside the Royal Albert Hall, the same location where a poppy was burned last year. Emdadur Choudhury, who burned the poppy, was fined just £50. Choudary, who has links to the Muslims Against Crusades group, said: ‘It’s going to be called Hell for Heroes and it will be around the Royal Albert Hall. ’It will involve a protest and not observing the minute’s silence. We had a significant amount of support from Muslims around the world last year.”

Why do we indulge these goons? If Choudary and com are so vexed about the condition of Muslims in other countries, I suggest we send them to be with their soul-mates – the Afghan wastes seem pretty ideal, I would have thought. The Minute’s Silence is perhaps the most sombre, most respectful thing we do each year to remember the fallen, for these fanatics to threaten to disturb it really is appalling.

So, what else is ‘new’?

 

Jemima Khan, Julian Assange, singer Billy Bragg, musician Brian Eno,  novelist Ahdaf Soueif and composer Howard Blake. Simon McBurney, Mark Rylance

Mark Steel, several Labour MPs - and 106-year-old anti-war campaigner Hetty Bower.

Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren Booth. Unite union general secretary Len McCluskey, Journalist John Pilger

With company like them, I hesitate to become involved in an idea which I believe holds great merit!