On the day that the 179th British Service Person has been killed in Afghanistan, the 10th death in 10 days, have we as a nation not got the backbone to stand up to the Government and demand that a change in policy is critically vital now?
As our service men and women are making the ultimate sacrifice what are our elected leaders doing, apart from a large majority who have embezzled the taxpayer through their spurious expense claims. The answer of course is jack shit!!
We're treated to our glorious leader, Gordon Brown, wringing his hands and expressing his remorse at the loss of life whilst telling us that "he won't be deflected from seeing the mission through". The Minister for Defence, Bob Ainsworth, said on the evening news tonight that "we will do everything to ensure troops have the resources needed to do the job being asked of them". Brave words when you, or one of your loved ones, are not put at risk. The leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman, said recently that "our policies are resulting in Afghan children being able to go to school and get an education". Well, I'm sorry love, but by any yardstick, 179 deaths of British personnel is not an acceptable price to pay for children to be educated.
What an insult to our intelligence. It is common knowledge that our forces personnel are flying by the seats of their pants. They are under equipped in every area. You only have to compare the resources at their disposal compared to that available to the troops from the US. This deficiency has been directly responsible for loss of life - plain and simple.
We as a country have learnt nothing. 100 years ago we tried and failed to influence events in Afghanistan. The Russians got involved in Afghanistan some 15-20 years ago and look how that ended up. We have no right to think that we can impose our will on any other nation. This, like the war in Iraq, is unjustified, is illegal and is something we should not be involved in. There is no possibility of 'winning' this war. We are dealing with a government in Kabul which is wholly corrupt and does not control the country as a whole. How can we possibly hope to achieve any meaningful outcome?
I would dearly wish that Gordon Brown, Bob Ainsworth, Harriet Harman and all their cronies would have had the balls to be at Wootten Bassett this afternoon to face the grandmother who I saw on the news tonight. She was there to repatriate her grandson who had lost his life in Afghanistan. One of 5 men in hearses who passed through this market town on route from RAF Lyneham to Oxford.
Most of all, I would like to confront John Reid, who, when Secretary of State for Defence, said that the conflict in Afghanistan "would very likely be settled without a bullet being fired". This, of course, is the same man who has been somewhat preoccupied latterly with important affairs of state such as those outlined in this link.
www.wishawpress.co.uk/wishaw-news/local-...nses-76495-23957386/
I would not wish anyone to think that I was championing the British above other nations in my comments herein. There are many other countries who have shared the same burden as the UK and who have suffered heartache in equal measure. Unfortunately, it is also true to say that there are some nations who should have, but for a variety of reasons, have not seen fit to shoulder a fair share of responsibility. They will have to reconcile their actions, or lack of them, to themselves.
I would prefer to hold up the people of Wootten Bassett as having set a fine example to our nation and hopefully to our allies. They have acted with dignity and without motive to show respect to our fallen service men and women and their families in what is a senseless and futile course of action by the Government of this country.
I am proud of the fact that I was one of an estimated 1.5 million people who marched through the streets of London on 16th February 2003 to protest against the war in Iraq. It didn't make any difference of course. I knew it wouldn't. But I cannot, and will not, allow the government of my country to think that they act in my name. They don't.
