http://waleshome.org/2009/07/ignore-the-lessons-of-history/ Independent analysis from and about Wales Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:00:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 http://waleshome.org/2009/07/ignore-the-lessons-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Illtyd Luke Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:12:45 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=886#comment-82 This is a very strong and informative piece, especially the points about the Taliban. A welcome contrast to the in print coverage of the reasons for maintaining a presence in Afghanistan. This is a very strong and informative piece, especially the points about the Taliban. A welcome contrast to the in print coverage of the reasons for maintaining a presence in Afghanistan.

]]> http://waleshome.org/2009/07/ignore-the-lessons-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Alan Davies Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:08:31 +0000 http://waleshome.org/?p=886#comment-77 Last Friday the Chief of the Defence Staff was "busting a gut" to get more helicopters to Afghanistan. The Chief of the General Staff came back from Afghanistan with a "shopping list" to provide essential capability. Brigadier Ed Butler a recent commander of fighting troops said clearly yesterday that his brigade had been under resourced. Yesterday someone interviewed on RWales described the Prime Minister as Mad and Stupid. Right on both counts. There is clear association between the PM and the shortage of resources to prosecute the war. He is ignoring expert advice to both manage the finances of the war and also, IMHO, to divert attention from his previous decisions. Fundamental to all of this debate however it the issue of trust. It appears that the nation has lost faith in politicians: expenses, Gurkhas etc all undermined that faith. Now Helicopters are being used as a stick to beat the PM. And sadly, perhaps most sadly of all, our troops are still being attacked and we don't understand why. There is no leadership for a nation at war, only management of a nation trying to contain a problem. Messages are therefore confused, and often contradictory. Only time will tell if we can defeat terror by fighting in Afghanistan, but sure as eggs is eggs, we would defeat terror far more quickly if we engaged with the effort in Pakistan, which now is firmly the residence of choice for trainee terrorists. Last Friday the Chief of the Defence Staff was “busting a gut” to get more helicopters to Afghanistan. The Chief of the General Staff came back from Afghanistan with a “shopping list” to provide essential capability. Brigadier Ed Butler a recent commander of fighting troops said clearly yesterday that his brigade had been under resourced.
Yesterday someone interviewed on RWales described the Prime Minister as Mad and Stupid. Right on both counts.
There is clear association between the PM and the shortage of resources to prosecute the war. He is ignoring expert advice to both manage the finances of the war and also, IMHO, to divert attention from his previous decisions.
Fundamental to all of this debate however it the issue of trust. It appears that the nation has lost faith in politicians: expenses, Gurkhas etc all undermined that faith. Now Helicopters are being used as a stick to beat the PM.
And sadly, perhaps most sadly of all, our troops are still being attacked and we don’t understand why. There is no leadership for a nation at war, only management of a nation trying to contain a problem. Messages are therefore confused, and often contradictory.
Only time will tell if we can defeat terror by fighting in Afghanistan, but sure as eggs is eggs, we would defeat terror far more quickly if we engaged with the effort in Pakistan, which now is firmly the residence of choice for trainee terrorists.

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