The escape from kiddies korner

So it is done. "What we are trying to do is combine the measures, militarily and civilian," says Gordon Brown in today's statement, something which gets close to joined-up government, even if it is many thousands of miles away.

With Nick Clegg reminding the House that, "Public support for the conflict is under strain", the statement trailed the publication of the document "UK policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: the way forward", setting out the clearest statement yet of where we stand in this troubled corner of the world.

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A strategy awaits

Afghanistan is not Iraq – and Gordon Brown is not Tony Blair. There was undoubtedly a concerted attempt to keep the Iraqi insurgency out of the news in the run-up to the elections, first in 2004 and then again in 2005 – a classic example of news management – but, despite our charges to the contrary, that does not appear to be the case with Afghanistan.

At a time when the whole issue of the Afghani conflict - and the spill-over into Pakistan – is especially sensitive (or would be if the kiddies korner media could lift its horizons above the prattle), the prime minister is today to make a statement on what it termed the AF/PAK strategy.

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Is this the first openly published, proper strategy on Afghanistan from HM Government? If so it is at least a step in a direction rather than muddle on.

From an article in the Telegraph:
Seemingly as we did so gloriously in Iraq.

There was a sort of strategy published in 2007.

As to shifting the balance, etc, there was nothing wrong with that as a strategy ... if fact, it is the only long-term solution. What went wrong in Iraq is that we handed over prematurely, before the Iraqi Army was ready, and then did not provide the necessaey support.

Here, the danger is that this is exactly what will happen again. So far, ANA numbers in Helmand are actually going down, while the capabilities are not improving at anything like the rate we need to see. There is no immediate prospect - or any in the forseeable future - of the ANA mounting autonomous operations in the province.

OK so its now Afghnaistan AND Pakistan. Hmmm, Taliban having sanctuary in Pakistan, shocker that. Tell me someone, at Sandhurst, where the leadership is trained, do they study other wars? Vietnam? Ho Chi Minh trail? Laos? Actually, my window cleaner could have explained it to them, in 2006. This lot are thick.

There can be no tax collection until the locals fear a visit from the Afghan taxman more than a visit from the Taliban.There is no law and order in place to allow that or a proper justice system to enforce it.

Corruption is another basic problem as they cant even organise proper distibution of wages to the Afghan security forces.Basic stuff...no law and order and no incentive for the local police to work for a central Afghan authority.....there is a hell of a long way to go.

Why exactly would a muslim have anything to do with democracy,his whole creed and way of life is diametrically opposed to such a notion,which is why they are fighting in the first place,it is a curious position that this adminisration is forcing democracy on them and stealing it from us,even the hordes of muslims that have invaded us ,want to see an end to democracy in the near future,when they have out-bred us and can force thier way of life upon us,so why are we expending so much energy on a bunch of raggedy-arsed poppy farmers.

Try reading the strategy paper before sounding off.