We are not in Afghanistan to beat the Taliban
THE Colonel of the West Country's Territorial Army battalion has said the war in Afghanistan is about protecting British freedoms and values – and does not aim to defeat the Taliban.
Lieutenant Colonel Tim House, commanding officer of 6th Battalion The Rifles, which draws personnel from Plymouth, said the aim of troops in the war-torn country was to increase security to allow the Afghan people the freedom to make their own choices.
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He said: "The reason that we are there isn't to try to defeat the Taliban — militarily we won't do that — but we will try to create a secure enough environment for progress and development to happen."
Lt Col House said it was right that questions were being asked in the UK about whether troops should remain in the war zone — particularly after the death toll among British soldiers exceeded 200.
But he said: "At a local level, I can say our presence is making a positive difference. Youngsters in school have a chance to make choices in life, rather than living by the kind of narrow-minded indoctrination that the 9/11 attacks were born out of."
He said Taliban rule would create a relatively calm environment, but one open to exploitation by groups such as al Qaida. "Just walking away wouldn't solve any problems."
And he said a Taliban victory, and a "defeated" British military would have global implications.
"It isn't just about Afghanistan," he said. "It's about protecting our freedoms and our values, in an enduring sense."
Lt Col House, who is based at Wyvern Barracks in Exeter, said local people both respected and feared the Taliban — particularly because they questioned how long international forces would remain, and were terrified that old scores would be settled if they left. He said a common complaint was security.
"When the Taliban were in power, people could travel from one point to another without being robbed, and that's not possible now. But at what price did it come? If a chap's beard wasn't trimmed the way they wanted, they would beat him."
The recent Operation Panther's Claw was a huge effort, partially designed to enable the Afghan general election to go ahead as peacefully as possible.
"It was to allow the people of Afghanistan to make their own decision about who governs them, rather than the strong arm of the Taliban," he said.
"It was also so people can see that there's a better life rather than picking up a weapon and fighting every day. It's to enable people to make a living for themselves, to create a higher quality of life."
Lt Col House accepted that British troops could be sent to Afghanistan for a long time to come.
He said: "These issues are very difficult to measure, particularly in modern society, where people are after instant gratification.
"These things take time — they manifest themselves in terms of people's attitudes changing."
He hoped that improved security would ultimately mean a reduced presence, as Afghanistan's government was able to operate more effectively.
He identified key tasks such as ensuring products can be taken to market in Kandahar, to offer locals another way of earning money than growing opium.
Another was creating an environment where children could go to school safely, while also ensuring electricity was supplied so citizens could access the internet and discover life beyond Taliban doctrine.
He said the TA played a crucial role, by bringing experience from their day jobs which career soldiers sometimes lacked.
"A lot of our TA troops understand about commercial opportunities from their jobs — they bring a huge amount to the party."
He said medical support was "excellent", adding that morale was "very high" among troops.
Shows of public support such as homecoming parades were most welcome, he said.
"Whatever people think about the politics of our involvement, it's important to our soldiers that they know that people appreciate the sacrifices being made," he said.
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by Outsourcing governance, Plymouth
Monday, August 31 2009, 10:05PM
“Brown signed us to the Lisbon Treaty without any referendum. Is that what our forefathers fought for? If we in the UK outsource our law making and governance to Brussels, why don't we just install a makeshift temporary government in Kabul? We've outsourced our governance so why shouldn't Afghanistan outsource theirs to us for a while.
See that article about Karzai's brother in the Telegraph and how much his family and friends are making from Afghanistan and the Heroin? If they lived in Plymouth they'd have high fences, electric gates and be driving around in a metallic purple Lamborghini.
Karzai's cronies are the lesser of the two evils?
This 'doctrine' comes from Pakistan and has it's roots in Saudi Arabia. Petrodollars are propagating this twisted form of Islam globally.
Just buy the Heroin, use it in hospitals and take it out of circulation.
Is there no crop that they could grow that could be marketed here like Fair Trade Coffee? 'Anti Taliban' veggies from Afghanistan.
You can no more get people to stop believing in Wahhabism than you can stop people supporting Man. Utd. or Argyle.”
by Steve, Plymouth
Monday, August 31 2009, 7:37PM
“Herald, why have you taken the debate off reference the 900 postal workers striking this week. This is a topical subject particularly as our armed forces can't strike. Or have the unions got to you guys?”
by Mick, Barbican
Monday, August 31 2009, 6:58PM
“Yes Brown knows he and his cronies will be getting the chop at the next general election, so they're lashing out in spite to do as much damage as they can before they get the chop, eg carving up Devonport, slashing benefits to wounded soldiers,putting the boot into the Gurkhas, sending more poorly-equipped troops to Afgh, freeing the Lockerbie bomber etc..”
by Local, Keyham
Monday, August 31 2009, 6:48PM
“"Yes [New] Labour sneaked that legislation in while media attention was focussed on their bullying of ex-Gurkhas."
The media's ONLY purpose is to distract the people's attention away from the grand larceny the politicians are taking part in. It really is that simple.
Afghanistan has NOTHING to do with us - we are there to do the bidding of the Americans, who as ever are there for the money. We are known as lapdogs the world over, have no illusions about that.
And what exactly are these mythical "British freedoms and values"? Sounds like yet another empty slogan imported from America... because if we are to go what is actually done rather than just said should we expect the Afghans to invade us soon under the pretext of bringing freedom and democracy to us back-wards folk? Heck, they might even hold an election here for us to vote in... they apparently know how to do that, unlike the junta at No 10 right now.”
by Mick, Barbican
Monday, August 31 2009, 6:14PM
“George quote- "Three days before announcing an £18.5 million increase in foreign aid to Bangladesh, the Government secretly cut benefits to wounded British soldiers, leaving them £3,000-a-year worse off"
Yes Labour sneaked that legislation in while media attention was focussed on their bullying of ex-Gurkhas.”
by george, stoke
Monday, August 31 2009, 6:09PM
“Three days before announcing an £18.5 million increase in foreign aid to Bangladesh, the Government secretly cut benefits to wounded British soldiers, leaving them £3,000-a-year worse off.
The compensation cut, by Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, was ordered in secret out of a well-justified fear of a public outcry following his earlier public attempts to cut payments to wounded troops .
So much for our governments idea of British values ...”
by jp, UK
Monday, August 31 2009, 2:52PM
“I smell the start of a big pile of Bulls**t. Why are our troops dying for a people who don't give a rats ass for Democracy. Democracy is not in their culture, most Afghans don't want the foreign troops there, and they see them as invaders.
Why should our troops support an Afghan government that allows a husband to starve his wife if she doesn't agree to sex? Where is that in our great British freedoms? We went there to support the Americans to change the Taliban government for their support of Al Quidia after 9/11, anything else they tell you is Bull.”
by Mick, Barbican
Monday, August 31 2009, 2:22PM
“Steve Childs quote- "Britain should NEVER have listened to Bushs lapdog Blair, and kicked the Labour party OUT, at the first opportunity"
Yes mate but don't forget it's British people who voted Labour into power, so they're as guilty as Brown.
"Who is the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?"- Obi Wan Kenobi”
by Steve Childs, Spain
Monday, August 31 2009, 2:12PM
“Here in Spain, I have people of different nationalities, asking me what has happened to Britains sense of fair play and honesty, Gone was my reply.
The comments above has given me hope, Britain should NEVER have listened to Bushs lapdog Blair, and kicked the Labour party OUT, at the first opportunity, for backing him.
If Afghanistan adopts Britains values at the moment, we are all in serious do do.”
by anon, plymouth
Monday, August 31 2009, 1:53PM
“and while ur at it brown pay my son a decent compensation for the lose of his limbs fighting for their democracy so he can have a decent normal standard of life in this so called s**t hole of a country its all about money to brown ....”