Afghanistan Fighting

fadetoblack · 12 Jul 2009 at 13:58

Missing.String said:
To me it sounded like he was trying to imply that ALL british people thought like that. Apologies if that wasn't your intent fadetoblack.

that's ok mate

TJM · 12 Jul 2009 at 14:57

meghatronic said:

The UK's counter-insurgency strategy played it far too safe. It had the right idea in the beginning (i.e. don't antagonise the locals), but that isn't nearly enough once it kicks off. Stopping an insurgency requires holding ground with troops and taking casualties, as the Army did in NI and is doing now in Afghanistan, but it was unwilling to do the same in occupying Iraq. The Army might as well have come home after pulling back to Basra airport for all of the good they were doing there. The Americans and Iraqis had to come down to Basra to deal with the problems that could have been prevented if the British government, military and public had been prepared to accept casualties.

despotofmidnor · 12 Jul 2009 at 15:05

Superficial said:
United States - 26,215

The question is, how many of them were killed by the enemy

^^Gord^^ · 12 Jul 2009 at 15:14

despotofmidnor said:
The question is, how many of them were killed by the enemy

I think some village is missing it's idiot.

Farore · 13 Jul 2009 at 00:01

Missing.String said:
I wouldn't consider myself anti-armed forces; we just need to fix our own problems before we start running halfway across the world and allegedly "fixing" things.

Strongly agree. I have nothing against our boys. I respect them for being in the feild they are. However, what ****es me off to no extent is that people get anoyed with me when I say I disagree with them being in a particular war.

'What?!? You dont support the troops?!? Your Anti-British!!!1!1oNE!'

Unfortunatly, seperating the people from the situation is too much for some people..

^^Gord^^ said:
I think some village is missing it's idiot.

I think he was implying that a lot of people die from 'friendly fire'.

ac1d1ty · 13 Jul 2009 at 00:26

This country needs to grow a pair of ****ing balls.

Look at the battle of the somme. 350,000 casualties in less than half a year for a couple miles of useless land.

Its a war, an ugly one, but one that can be won.

^^Gord^^ · 13 Jul 2009 at 08:14

Farore said:
I think he was implying that a lot of people die from 'friendly fire'.

I'm fully aware of that, I just think making a joke out of blue on blue isn't funny nor the deaths of over 26,000 people.

FTM · 13 Jul 2009 at 09:32

System_ofa_Down said:
This country needs to grow a pair of ****ing balls.

Look at the battle of the somme. 350,000 casualties in less than half a year for a couple miles of useless land.

Its a war, an ugly one, but one that can be won.

people do have short memories...

going back to the falklands the welsh guards lost 32 people in a single incident, 23 killed in a single engagement on mount longdon and many more.

^^Gord^^ · 13 Jul 2009 at 10:03

FTM said:
people do have short memories...

going back to the falklands the welsh guards lost 32 people in a single incident, 23 killed in a single engagement on mount longdon and many more.

The Falklands was a very different conflict, you can't really compare them.

Chronictank · 13 Jul 2009 at 10:55

Personallly i think it was an inevitable spike in deaths,
Pakistan is doing their military campaign on one side, the yanks have stepped up their game
I suspect they are just being boxed into a corner rather than running away, and invevitably leading to deaths

Freefaller · 13 Jul 2009 at 11:08

I've spent the weekend on an British army base in Germany - whilst it was the officer's summer ball that I was there for - we stood in silence for 2 minutes before dinner with an impromptu speech from the C/O. There was a bit of a somber mood initially. The next day I spoke to some of the soldiers (i.e. not the officers) who have done a tour there, it's amazing how much it hits home when you talk to them - especially when they know some of the people. Whilst they live in luxurious barracks, and have a good life when not on tour, there's no forgetting at any moment in time that there are people/friends/colleagues and our men and women on the front line losing their lives. It was quite heart warming but chilling at the same time seeing them and joking with them whilst they shared maybe a little brazenly ( I guess you have to detach yourself) some of their experiences.

It's amazing the contrast between the life on the Barracks away from conflict and when the reality hits home. Whilst they live a good life, we must remember that they may and can be sent into conflict with no guarantee that they will come back alive.