British resolve?

[RAENORTH]

The Times leader is taking Obama to task for "dithering" over Afghanistan, contrasting his lack of action unfavourably with sentiments expressed by David Miliband, recently highlighted in a New York Times op-ed. While Omaba havers, torn between the Biden-inspired "counter-terrorism" approach and McChrystal's brave new world of "counter-insurgency", there is no such irresolution from the British foreign secretary. When asked if the mission needed substantially more troops, Miliband said, "What I think that you can see from the prime minister's strategy is that we believe in serious counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency is a counterterrorist strategy."

View full article here

[FU (Fed Up)]

Miliband's only "resolve" however, is to ensure that the once mighty Great Britain ends up with less power and influence than the independent state of Afghanistan, where we are singularly failing to make a mark.

Reduceing the UK to a vassal state, is what Uncle Joe would have told Millepede's dad, to work twds.

I'm sure they are both very proud of how well their plans are coming together.

[permanentexpat]

British resolve?...as annunciated by a foreign twit dedicated to our disappearance?
Spare me the indignation!
Egad! What have we come to?

[Morgan]

Give the Milliband an opportunity to demonstrate his - er - resolve. Conscript him into the army, train him up, then send him off to the front line on a "for the duration" basis.

If he's one of those people who say "you can't make me fight", then scrub the training, give him a rifle and ammo, and put him somewhere in the 'stan where if he doesn't fight he dies.

Resolve my bum. Easy to have "resolve" with other people's lives.

It's like when Blur said we have to pay a 'blood price' - only it wasn't going to be his blood. Perhaps he could serve side by side with the Millband?

[Git]

"Miliband's latest contribution is to suggest that we walk away from formulating our own foreign policy, and throw in our lot with the European Union, his idea being "to take a lead in developing a strong European foreign policy"."

Nothing could be more hypocritical and obscene then justifying membership and involvement of the European Union on the basis that it will make Britain more significant, important, and influential in the world. It is a transparent lie and an insult. He treats us like we are chimps. There are children in special schools who are not condescended to as badly as that.

[Daffersd]

How can anyone look at Milband or listen to what he says and take it at all seriously:

"What I think that you can see from the prime minister's strategy is that we believe in serious counterinsurgency. Counterinsurgency is a counterterrorist strategy."

Yes, and..., or what does that actually mean? It looks like he is reminding himself what it is, would not surprise me me at all, lets all repeat it, Counterinsurgency is a counterterrorist strategy!

Priceless, have we ever had such a useless FS, by all accounts he would not be much use with the SCO, because the Indians do not think much of him by the way he acted when he visited them.

[In2minds]

I've read the Christina Lamb article in the Spectator and while she says what should not happen, send more troops, neither does she say what should be done.

“I don’t think we should just withdraw and let the Taleban take over. But I do believe we shouldn’t compound the mistakes already made by sending yet more young men to die”.

She understands more about Afghanistan than Miliband, that's easy, but if an 'expert' can't offer more who can?

[RAENORTH]

I've read the Christina Lamb article in the Spectator and while she says what should not happen, send more troops, neither does she say what should be done.

“I don’t think we should just withdraw and let the Taleban take over. But I do believe we shouldn’t compound the mistakes already made by sending yet more young men to die”.

She understands more about Afghanistan than Miliband, that's easy, but if an 'expert' can't offer more who can?

You are right ... neither she nor Hastings offer any solutions ... they are several months behind the curve ... there is more thinking on this forum than we see from them.

[DP111]

Decisions

The extreme delay in getting decisions out of Washington that were urgent many months ago, on how to proceed in Afghanistan, was made sickly comic on Monday when President Barack Obama told a military audience that he would not "rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way."

Morale had been descending in Afghanistan, from what I could make out, among an under-manned allied force in serious need of reinforcement; casualties rising on uncovered flanks.

And then they hear this strange man in Washington, playing Hamlet with himself, dramatizing his own role in what should be a clear-headed and quick, unemotional decision-making process. After all, he announced his (vacuous) "comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan" to great fanfare last March. All he has to do now is give it substance.

http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/

[John Wilkes Booth]

Hi. I'm back. Gi' us a job.

" And then they hear this strange man in Washington, playing Hamlet with himself, dramatizing his own role in what should be a clear-headed and quick, unemotional decision-making process. After all, he announced his (vacuous) "comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan" to great fanfare last March. All he has to do now is give it substance. "

A bummer president, eh? No problem. See, I was right about Lincoln. Look what he started. Gee, they're even in the White House now.

Hey, I'll throw in a nice discount on McSnot if you give me the bulk contract.

[RAENORTH]

Hi. I'm back. Gi' us a job.

" And then they hear this strange man in Washington, playing Hamlet with himself, dramatizing his own role in what should be a clear-headed and quick, unemotional decision-making process. After all, he announced his (vacuous) "comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan" to great fanfare last March. All he has to do now is give it substance. "

A bummer president, eh? No problem. See, I was right about Lincoln. Look what he started. Gee, they're even in the White House now.

Hey, I'll throw in a nice discount on McSnot if you give me the bulk contract.

Can you provide your own gun?

[In2minds]

The Afghan MP Malalai Joya is routinely ignored, why?
She is an 'expert', born there, educated and dedicated to her country. But rather like you can have the wrong kind of snow you seem to get the wrong kind of expert too. I say Joya is ignored because she puts Afghanistan first and not some other Western driven agenda.