Gordon Brown signals end to Afghanistan offensive Operation Panther's Claw

[mattheman]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...own-signals-end-to-Afghanistan-offensive.html

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, has signalled the end of Operation Panther's Claw, the bloody offensive to drive back the Taliban in Afghanistan, insisting it had not been "in vain" despite the deaths of 20 British troops over the past month.

You really have to think why now, and most of you know the pressure he has on MOD equipment.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, has said "moderate" members of the Taliban insurgency killing British forces in Afghanistan could be given seats in the Afghan government.

arnt these the very people that we are fighing against, were british service men lost their lifes just to see this?

Mr Miliband said it was important to make it clear that Britain and the US were not alone in their efforts in the region: "I emphasise to the British people that there are 42 countries involved in Afghanistan."

yep they can't beat the afgans lol what a joke.

 

[SillyHeatsink]

I'd sage this if I could.

 

[Dj_Jestar]

I'd sage this if I could.

 

[Lysander]

I'd sage this if I could.

Because sageing is always so effective.

 

[malfunkshun]

I hate to sound harsh but they claim this is a war, as such 20 casualties in a month is impressive.
You cannot effectively remove an enemy that hides among the general population without incurring huge collateral damage so under the circumstances I think we have done pretty bloody well.
Additionally, from what I understand the objectives of Operation Panther's Claw to be, they have been largely achieved?

 

[Makunouchi]

Because sageing is always so effective.

Thyme has always beaten Sage!

'Panther's Claw'? Which part of the whole mess in the Middle East was that then? I laugh how they just slap names on things and then say it's 'begun' or it's 'over'. Our military involvement in that corner of the world will never be over.

 

[malfunkshun]

Panthers claw, officially, is supposed to secure some crossings to allow a long term base for the security assistance force in Helmand (I may be wrong! feel free to correct). That being the case the end of this operation would not, in any way, signal the end of British involvement in Afghanistan, or even Helmand province as far as I can tell.

 

[Makunouchi]

So what was the point in the announcement exactly?

a well experienced and effective force.

Has our performance in Afghanistan really shown this to be true?


(I genuinely have no idea about any of this stuff, these are real questions.)

 

[slambo69]

On the plus side, when Britannia goes to war with more direct threats with properly trained armies it will have a well experienced and effective force.

 

[malfunkshun]

So what was the point in the announcement exactly?

Well, it could be said that he is just keeping the people informed.
I, personally, would say that it is a thinly veiled attempt to make it appear that things are being toned down over there by appearing to remove troops from the front line, when in fact they aren't particularly.

 

[Strife212]

Has our performance in Afghanistan really shown this to be true?

Yes. The kill ratio is insanely high, hundreds of taliban are killed for each of ours that dies. They just don't bother reporting such things.

 

[mattheman]

Well, it could be said that he is just keeping the people informed.
I, personally, would say that it is a thinly veiled attempt to make it appear that things are being toned down over there by appearing to remove troops from the front line, when in fact they aren't particularly.

lol

British troops in Afghanistan have launched one of the biggest airborne operations of modern times. Lukwesa Burak has the details.

350 troops 12 chinooks and 13 other aircraft, plus 20 guys dead out of 350 is almost 10% death rate pretty high infact.

 

[Wizardskills]

lol

350 troops 12 chinooks and 13 other aircraft, plus 20 guys dead out of 350 is almost 10% death rate pretty high infact.

5.7% actually. Its a war, troops die. It annoys me when people think that all the troops are going to come back. Wheather they died for a good reason is another argument though.

 

[SillyHeatsink]

Because sageing is always so effective.

Sorry, my bad, Should've put it in all fields. Does nobody round here recognise the hallmarks of the stereotypical troll? Poor English, selective/contextual quoting, straw men...just let stuff like this die.

 

[Makunouchi]

Does nobody round here recognise the hallmarks of the stereotypical troll?

This isn't 4chan, no need to act like it - it's turned into a decent discussion, no need to 'let it die' now.

 

[mattheman]

5.7% actually. Its a war, troops die. It annoys me when people think that all the troops are going to come back. Wheather they died for a good reason is another argument though.

opps
calculated it as a % decrease.
9.4 350 -20/350= 9.4 sorry yep almost 6% still high.

 

[Wizardskills]

opps
calculated it as a % decrease.
9.4 350 -20/350= 9.4 sorry yep almost 6% still high.

I would argue that is isn’t that high. Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t most of these deaths from roadside bombs and not from actual combat. Given the kind of tactics the Taliban are using, I would say we are inflicting much much more damage than we are receiving. But then of course, people expect us not to take any damage at all and just to wipe to floor with them.

 

[Delvis]

Have we not nuked them yet...or just left them to destroy themselves?

Seriously, we've gone over there, we've tried helping, we've given them aid and support, and they just throw it in our faces (not all of them but still)

Either leave already, or nuke em.

 

[markweatherill]

Yes. The kill ratio is insanely high, hundreds of taliban are killed for each of ours that dies. They just don't bother reporting such things.

No, because then people could ask 'how many Taliban are there exactly?' and work out that by the end of this conflict we might have to wipe the whole Afghanistani population out!

 

[Von Smallhausen]

are they not the very people that we are fighing against, were British servicemens' lives lost just to see this?

Much the same as in Northern Ireland ........ where there is relative peace.

Did you expect to see Martin McGuinness and the Chief Constable of the PSNI standing together denouncing murder and terrorism as they did when two British soldiers were murdered ?