Top British soldier quits over 'grotesque' Afghan war »

Posted by: msaleem 1 year, 12 months ago

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The former aide-de-camp to the commander of the British task force in southern Afghanistan has described the campaign in Helmand province as "a textbook case of how to screw up a counter-insurgency". "Having a big old fight is pointless and just making things worse," said Captain Leo Docherty, of the Scots Guards, who became so disillusioned that h

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Comments: 20

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kboy
Sept. 10, 2006, 10:01 a.m.
If he is the Top British soldier, he was incompetent. If he was not a Top British soldier, than the whole article is a load of mis-information. You can not have it both ways.
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donald51
Sept. 10, 2006, 1:46 p.m.
Kboy,
The article says he was an aide-de-camp, which is usually the best qualified junior officer to assist the commanding general - therefore not "incompetent" as you have stated (sounds like Republican beating of out troops/allies).
His descriptions of remote posts attacked at Talaban liesure is reminiscent of Vietnam, and the heavy handed responses which have high collateral damage is even moreso. This type of behavior lost the hearts and minds in Vietnam and appear to be doing so again, only in Afghanistan.
PS: A former British Commander in Iraq also published an article about a year ago (In an American military publication) on American heavy handedness in Iraq with the same results on the populace (killing innocents produces more terrorists).
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Sandmn
Sept. 10, 2006, 3:22 p.m.
Someone please explain the word insurgency to me. I thought it was a people fighting against their own government, but not as organized as a revolutionary. How do we get away with calling everyone an insurgent?
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Demerit
Sept. 10, 2006, 5:08 p.m.
Looks like the Brits will need a lot of help with their military prowess again - but, what do you expect from such a long history of inability - Galipoli - Somme - Dunkirk - Singapore - Arnhem
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ujmi
Sept. 10, 2006, 5:12 p.m.
lol, now this is fun. People of both Afghanistan and Iraq are by nature very hardliner nationalists. And that nationalism spurs from their clan-system and then religion. So its simple, this is just start, more beating coming up ahead. Highly advised to move out now before being insulted further.
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ujmi
Sept. 10, 2006, 5:15 p.m.
btw, also plz plz stop thinking you are saving democracy or serving it for that matter, its just simply digging holes in other's garden so that they don't start looking at yours, which for the matter of fact, they will one day or another and by then they will be quite alot desperate!
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wallyone
Sept. 10, 2006, 8:22 p.m.
the arrogance of america will cost lots of lives. spreading freedom and democracy can only be accomplished if the citizens want it that way.. if not you are just blowing smoke.. Bush and his band of henchmen are big screw ups and will never win.. america will be bankrupt and the euro will take the place of the dollar in oil transactions and world currency.. bush had succeeded in bankrupting america both morally and finacially but still there are people who will refuse to see his incompetence..
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samsara15
Sept. 10, 2006, 10:16 p.m.
One is reminded of the Russian experience in Afghanistan. They won...easily, and then they began to bleed...and bleed...it brought down their empire. It might yet bring down our own empire. One should learn from the lessons of others.
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DoTheRightThing
Sept. 10, 2006, 10:20 p.m.
ujmi Well done and well said.
These white neo-supremacists in Washington who do not truly believe in GOD and determined to take the matters in their own hands by inculcating fear, desparation and hate, in the hearts and minds of common people to change the public opinion. Poeple now have clearly understood the Washington's schemes and will react positively to the confusion created by this regime.
Love elimiates all hatred, if one would take one step towards love and compassion the other will take two steps.
GOD has created us for loving each other despite our ideological and/or religious contrasts. If we really and truly try to understand these ideological and/or religious contrasts simply as humans rather than cult, sect, group, governments, regimes so on and so forth than we will be able to overcome these boundaries of hatred and we will be able to enter into the paradise of love and compassion.
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lovelytxwoman
Sept. 10, 2006, 11:41 p.m.
AND I AM SO SURE THE ISLAMIC RADICALS WANT TO US TO DEATH! THEIR GOD SAYS TO KILL THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN THEIR GOD.
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mrguppy
Sept. 10, 2006, 11:51 p.m.
samsara15: "One is reminded of the Russian experience in Afghanistan. They won...easily, and then they began to bleed...and bleed...it brought down their empire. It might yet bring down our own empire. One should learn from the lessons of others."
good point. It is said the only difference between a wiseman and a fool, is that the wiseman learns from previous mistakes, it would seem that Bush........ hasn't learned from others mistakes.
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sjoko
Sept. 11, 2006, 2:57 a.m.
Trust the Guards to still have some honerable, real soldiers. Congrats Captain Docherty
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ujmi
Sept. 11, 2006, 5:09 a.m.
thank you DoTheRightThing.
lovelytxwoman: Im sorry but you are ill informed, the part you are quoting is from Surah-e-Tauba in Quran which is the most harsh Chapter, it doesnt even start with the usual "In the name of ALlah the most merciful and benificiant", and in fact its not allowed to start it with that, it was revealled during an act of aggression on Muslims. I am sure you understand what war means, and especially how America already conceives it!
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Star_Poet
Sept. 11, 2006, 5:47 a.m.
If he quit, it is totally obvious to me that he is not British.
Britains do not quit.
This is just more propaganda written by subversionists.
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blog2006
Sept. 11, 2006, 5:49 a.m.
One recent article on netscape was titled 'We have the Taliban cornered'
It was followed by another where a top commander made a plea for more troops
Now this one.
Maj General Batiste ( former commander of the Army 1st Infantry division,and also commander of the North Central division in Irak)talked about a great bowl of chicken feces to describe the military strategy chosen by Rumsfeld in Irak.
And it will not change,only get worse,if one compares it with previous and similar conflicts.
The vague'War on Terror' is viewed on the other side as a simple,straightforward expansion of the Israeli/American colonial pretentions in the middle east.
And a rational mind,given all the facts,would have to admit that that point of view (which has nothing to do with the ridiculous claim that they want to dominate the world,fascist style)might be better grounded in fact,than the so caled 'War on Terror'.
Therefore one should look at the 'French Algerian' colonial war of the 50s as a model
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blog2006
Sept. 11, 2006, 5:55 a.m.
for instance.
From 70000 troops to secure a country with 8 million,they had to go all the way to over 400000 troops,and ended up making the political concessions in the end (and total loss of the colonial possession)
The solution is to win the hearts and minds by being the good guys,but this cannot happen as long as we support the wrong policies of Israel.Throwing a few bags of rice is not going to do it.
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blog2006
Sept. 11, 2006, 7:22 a.m.
poet
British subjects who quit and rebel have been called Americans before.
Nothing wrong with that.
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ruforreal
Sept. 11, 2006, 8:44 a.m.
Congratulations Mr Docherty for doing the right thing and for further having the courage to speak out about the wrong doing in Afghanistan. This fellow Scot applauds you.
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Albion
Sept. 12, 2006, 5:58 p.m.
Demerit: Perhaps you should go down to your local library and get a book out about British history and try to read it from an unbiased point of view also for balance get a 'true history' book about The Battle of the Bulge, another good one would be a 'true history' of Operation Torch in North Africa. They may open your eyes and stop you making daft statements.