Time for the Brits to get out of Afghanistan.

Things are not so black and white. Whilst Pakistan hasa hand in destabilizing India, India also does it best to do the same to Pakistan. Iran and Israel are also major players in the region.

There is a lot at stake here. The nuclear weapons are just a side show.

Remember that the Taliban were the brainchild of the West and ISI (The Pakistan intelligence services) during the Soviet occupation of afghanistan.

I am referring to the Pakistani government being further infiltrated by extremists like the Taliban and the JI.

Nukes are not the only concern; I think their hosting extremist movements and their inability to even control their own nation from Islamabad, not to mention their collusion in trying to destabilize India and the region.

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

but having discussed this with some of the people serving there, as well as knowing some people living in Afghanistan, I am concerned about what would happen if all troops pulled out.

I think the situation is like that in Iraq. No one really thought past getting the current regime out and there is not a good plan in place for preparing for the people's recovery and establishing a viable government.

I certainly would like to see all troops out, but I also think there will be bigger problems if everyone pulls out. Maybe it is just the price we have to pay.

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

These are all games. Certain Western powers want control of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal. What beter way than to use disinformation to discredit the government and makea bogeyman of the nation.

The nuclear arsenal is under the control of the Army and as in other countries, the armed forces are a right wing institution with the nations interests at heart.

I am surprised that people believe that someone will walk in and take a few kilograms of nuclear materal ad build a dirty bomb. Or that they will get hold of the remote control button and launch a strike on the West.

If it was that easy, terrorists would be swimming in nuclear weapons after the fall of the soviet union.

A dozen only?

Look what is happening in Palestine Iraq. Hundreds of innocent people are killed everyday.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

with people who have been in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past 10 years -- not politicians. If you trust the stability of the Pakistani government to safeguard their nukes, you are as naive as you are PC. Sorry to say but in this case, I think you must agree that Israel has shown a lot more stability and ability to control the settlers than Pakistan has shown regarding their own Taliban members. The same goes for India.

I would like to see a world with no nukes, but that simply isn't the case right now. The most I can hope for is those countries who have them, are stable -- and Pakistan is not.

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

surely even if he had one there would have been no shaving implements in that age!

Brother Paul if we see history all the prophets who came on earth lke Prophet Noah,Moses,solomon,david,jesus & last messenger prohet Mohammed Peace n blessings of allah on them were having beard , their civilization was having beard its the new geneartion who has changed every thing but there are some muslims who still follow the rules shown by their prophet on the command of god, So next time dont be rude to anyone

how long were u in the army for Mr Paul?

rofl at brit's comment...

good job cos its a craphole...

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

That's because you were holed up in Aldershot and having your way with the local lasses :)

At least the general public seem to support our boys nowadays, which is more than can be said for when I was serving.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Thank you, here's hoping he will.

Our soldiers are fighting a difficult battle.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

I couldn't agree more. 8 soldiers killed in 24 hours. The death toll keeps rising...my boyfriend goes away in 2-3 weeks too =[

I'm so worried....

Not that easy with all the pc brigade and human rights do-gooders.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

terrorists first.

President Obama has stated many times that it was a mistake to go into Iraq. He felt that the real problem was Afghanistan.

Whatever, the reasons, the Afghans can be subduedm but it would take a lot more men and firepower. The difficulty is not in pushing back the Taliban, but then hoilding on to the gains.. Again it requires manpower and logistics.

lastly, the Afghans change sides more often than Paris Hilton does boyfriends...

afghanistan is been used as a training camp for Al qieeda, so they can attack Britains' mainland.

Obviously, no-one twigged on that terrorists can train anywhere in the world.

Its time we left and left the afghan security forces to police their own backyard.

We could put our forces to good use back in Britain, on our own security issues...

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

don't the orthodox Jews grow beards too??...and of course the Indian sardars who are the butt of many jokes!!

Was it to get OBL??That seemed to be the Yanks objective.Why are the Brit's blindly following them around?In any case they are still no closer to their target than when they started.

Afghanistan has been a graveyard for any invading army for centuries(Even Alexander was nearly killed there).The pathan's are crazy (proud??)guys who cannot be subdued by force.Better for all foreignors to get out and leave them to sort out the mess.

Oh boy, Im sooo scared !!

Im shaking in my shoes with fear....

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

By the way, I support our troops whole heartedly. I am angry at the loss of life and the "blunders" our politicians have made.

PM: The Politicians make a big deal of Pakistan and it nuclear arsenal. I cannot understand how people can be so naive as to think that the Taliban could actually get their hands on it. One could say the same for "the settlers" having access to the Israeli stockpile. There are far too many safeguards and controls for this sort of thing to happen.

As far as india is concerned. They too have nuclear weapons.

We are however digressing.. Look at the history of Afghanistan and recent events - includin The West keeping a corrupt Karzai in power. the latest "surge" in Helmand is designed ONLY to make it safe for the elections. What will we do after that ?

Sorry.. Time for us to get out. Use the forces to secure the borders if you wish, but no fight in the country.

Paul.... there is nothing daring in the issue. Your comment is a direct assualt on Muslims. I am not lecturing rather warning you!

Boycott Israel – the sponsor of terrorism and genocides

but I believe that the Taliban and the unstable situation in Pakistan (a nuclear nation that hates its Indian neighbor) will come back to haunt us all if there is a complete withdrawal at this point.

As for peace: I can't ever see peace in this region, and not solely because of Israelis (although I know they make an almost irresistible scapegoat for those who like to bury their heads in the sand). Israel as it exists does create a tremendous problem but certainly not the only one.

I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Peace WILL prevail when the Israelis get kicked out of Palestine. Period!

who thinks that the public will forget about all the problems, silly laws etc that nu-liarbour have brought in or caused.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Mark my words... Brown will pull out the UK troops about 4 weeks before any election and not a day sooner...

They call it the American dream because you have to be asleep to see it... --George Carlin

country.

Its not our business at all, and no more Brit troops should die.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

There aren't enough troops (collectively considering US, UK, Canada, locals) to make a substantial difference. The idea now is to hold ground and build (mostly bunkers and barracks, but hopefully schools too...insh'allah). It's a good idea, but again you need more soldiers on the ground, especially from the Afghani side. They could all pull out, but then that gives the Taliban the confidence to go after Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons. Due to tensions between Indian and Pakistan, this may create one sticky situation. But hey, the population problem in India may finally be averted.

I'd like to see some change in Afghanistan though, albeit without massive deaths on either side. You know something is up when a group of cowards blow up massive, ancient Buddhist statues and force Hindus to wear yellow badges out in public.

bring them back coz there is some my gorkha brother

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

"

What is that supposed to mean...That if yer survive a war unscathed, you dont need any help cos you were paid ?

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

What did Islam do to deserve your protection? You really are a removed by Mods as offensive.

Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about

poppy appeal be funding terrorism ?

Same as money for wounded servicepeople and the like....Please explain.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

The military

you sign a contract that potentially may lead to your death, if you survive you have been compensated well for your services, yet need a psychologist for the rest of your life as most men come home broken and are half the person they used to be.

Get the troops out now !

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Mr. Paul

I do not wish to be rude, but...

Giving money to military charities = funding terrorism

Guys take your vitriol off and please let's not start in yet another 'my culture is better than yours nya nya nya nya nyaaaaa' rubbish...it's incredibly tiresome

truths about the women folk didnt bother you one bit...

I wonder why that is ?

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

how dare you come on here and lecture anyone, when yer hatred for anyone not muslim and especially jewish is plain to see.

And are you gonna stop me from commenting ?

No, I dont think you are

!!

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

"the men made to grow silly beards, lets just leave them to it now"

Mr Paul…

An abstract from your post above shows that you need mental asylum.

If we have a beard… why it infuriates you? I don’t intend to comment on your culture and religion!!

It is a part of Islamic way of life and we are proud to have beard…..

Next time…when you come up with your venomous and vicious posts ensure that you do not repeat such nasty comments.

Boycott Israel – the sponsor of terrorism and genocides

at home.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Owwwwww Mr Paul just called Brit Expat a "arm chair" warrior.

Mr. Paul,

Support your troops, how do you do that Mr. Paul. By active QL participation?

keep them there best the brits die than us Aussies

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Don't get angry with me! I'm only typing what you are thinking!

on some half hearted support mission for the yanks...

But it's easy for all the armchair warriors on QL and in the public to be quick to critise and say how the "Brits shouldnt be there, its not their country" etc etc

Support the troops, even if yer dont believe in the war.

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Stealth,

you sound a little sore from England ruling India, how else would you expect to be educated!

Well sure it was. But we added to it. That's no excuse for the british simply to up ship and leave.

Iraq no, Afghanistan yes. Have to stay the course, people have very short memories...

Oh please chuckspeak ,Afgahistan was a smoking heap of rubble LONG before we got there. If anyone should clean it up it's the Russians!

I largely agree with u there BritExpat - we went there without understanding Afghanistan as a country. However, I do also feel that we need to clear up the terrific mess that we made - or at least do something to clear it up as much as we can. It's all very well clearing out of the country, but it would rather seem that we're simply buggering off leaving Afghanistan a smoking heap of rubble.

Brits neve learn from history do they?

Canadians are INTELLIGENT Americans.

:P

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

MR P !!!!!! How Dare you say the biggest thing to come out of Canada is Donald Suthurland!!!!!!! You forgot me!

nothing has been achieved from past 6 yrs just killing of both sides n loss of trillion dollars

people.

If they want women to fully cover, have no education, be beaten with sticks and the men made to grow silly beards, lets just leave them to it now.

I dont want this to be Britains 'vietnam'.

The biggest thing to come out of Canada is Donald Sutherland but I like the way they were on time for both world wars,unlike the yanks...

:P

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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.

Gypsy, Taliban... they need to be involved.

canadian should go british should stay....

But that means taking the heroin money from the Taliban. However can opium be used to fund global terrorism if it's being used to make morphine for poor Africans. Get your goals straight FU. :P

No!!!

The British, Americans and others should stay. The only thing they need to change, is their goals.

Instead of fighting they should start building a poppy-economy. Poppy seeds are used for drugs, opium and such. But from this one can also produce Morphine, from which there is a global shortage. It has been stated that Afghanistan can supply the whole of Africa with their capacity alone, but most likely 'other nations' would not want this to happen as this would mean they would loose a very valuable market-share.

Canadians there for ever.

I agree completely. And get the Canadians out of there to!