The war in Afghanistan is unwinable, purely for the fact that there is no clearly defined measurable goal. Denying the Taliban a foothold in the region is a pretty abstract issue, particulaly when you consider that it is the Pakistani Taliban who are those primarily responsible for the current international terrorist threat.

The Afghan Talibans' aim is to make a Taliban run state. International terrorism is not really an issue to them in general.

In order to win a war, you need to have a clearly defined goal with set specific measurable outcomes that have to be reached in order to state that the mission has been achieved. Afghanistan (and Iraq for that reason) have not got this.

I'm about to go out on my third tour of Afghanistan in a few months. I've done two of Iraq. I spent most of my early career in another operational area with no real defined goal against a terrorist force - N. Ireland. We spent over 35 years trying to achieve undefined goals.

I'll do my job because I love it. I just don't know how many more tours there will be until a defined goal is determined and reached.

I guess this escapes all your memory banks but I guess everyone here forgot that all the "terrorists" that participated in 9/11 where Saudi Arabian.

Originally posted by DaMod
I guess this escapes all your memory banks but I guess everyone here forgot that all the "terrorists" that participated in 9/11 where Saudi Arabian.

This was exactly my point. The teerrorists who are instigating international terror attacks don't usually originate from Afghanistan. The Taliban ideal in Afghanistan is to create a Taliban-controlled state, not push their politics overseas.

The problem that is being peddled by the West is that of the freedom to train and dwell in Afghanistan that is flaunted by foreign terrorist groupings.

When given the facts the vast majority of Brits support our role in Afghanistan, as do the Afghan's themselves.
What disgusts the majority of Brits is Servicemen / women dying or suffering injuries which could possibly be avoided if they were provided with the correct equipment to do the job!
Those bean counters in Westminster responsible for 'budget' figures and other such nonsense should be prosecuted for treason.

Originally posted by PaddyInf
The Taliban ideal in Afghanistan is to create a Taliban-controlled state, not push their politics overseas.

But once they have regained control in Afghanistan they will aid The Taliban in Pakistan in their goal to control that country.

Once The Taliban has control of Pakistan then serious confrontation with India is inevitable.
And where that could lead is anyone's guess but it certainly wouldn't be a good thing!

As you correctly stated, Taliban controlled nations would also become haven's for potential terrorists to go and learn their brand of evilness and to train in terrorist activities ready to be exported across the globe.

The Taliban must be stopped at all costs.

today another 3 uk troops dead in afganistan.
what is often over looked is:
some uk troops that have lost their lives in afganistan may have been killed by islamic immigrants in the uk who then fly out to places afganistan/pakistan/sudan on murder holidays & to get terrorist training.
some troops in afganistan have reported hearing taliban on the radio with birmingham accents !!.
i guess this is a good indicator that multiculturism isnt working to well.
or maybe some people see this as uk society being enriched by multiculturism !!.
i also wonder how many american troops are being killed by islamic immigrants in america doing the same thing ?.
the quran promotes about as much peace as hitlers mein kampf