why don't people understand the battle in Afghanistan/Iraq is needed for a safer world?

Question

as a serving soldier in Afhganistan, i was asked several times on leave why and what we are doing in Afhganistan and Iraq, i was told should leave the army and get a worth while job!!!! when will people understand the job we are doing is to ensure thier safety and future?

Answer 1

Ex slodier.

I agree with you i got asked the same thing when i was in Bosnia. We don't ask to go there we do it for our country. What would happen to the world if we had no army protecting it. Civillians are all the same especially the ones who don't understand, Get a worth while job? yet they work in a bloody factory packing cheese or something, Who needs to get a worth while job then.

Answer 2

Even the Pentagon has recently announced in a report that the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts have made things more dangerous. As we learned in Northern Ireland- military action just creates feelings of oppression, which prompts acts on all sides that feed off each other, ensuring people then feel more oppressed when attacked and so they hit back harder when then prompts an even bigger reaction etc etc- martyrs can't be martyrs when they have no reason to die for, and military action, whether people think it is justified or not, gives them something to die for and to build up support for insurgents. While Saddam was an evil tyrant, Iraq posed no treat to world security- he was a secular leader, and as such, was hated by Bin Laden and therefore had little connection to Al Qaeda, whereas Saudi Arabia actually did- but for some reason (!) escaped any retaliation. So while I appreciate that it is a dirty and difficult job you have been ordered to do, and I recognise the courage you and your comrades display, the politicians are using these qualities of yours to hold onto their own power bases and increase global dominance by the US, by creating a situation where everything you do will prompt a response which will then be used to justify more lives lost and more security clampdowns. At the end of the day, if Blair is so convinced that the troops are doing the right thing, why didn't he get Euan to join up and go to the front line and share the dangers with you, or why didn't draft dodger Bush encourage his daughters to join up?

Answer 3

Well if the war stayed in Afghanistan and focused solely on catching Osama et al then that is not a problem.
The Bush Co. government has however used it as an excuse to start a war with Iraq, officially using the line that Saddam was linked to Osama and he had a load of weapons. Neither has been proved yet they went to war anyway. Most people suspect it’s to do with ensuring the future of the American economy by securing oil reserves and supplies in the middle-east (at the expense of the rest of the world, because only America counts of course.)

I read somewhere that apparently the oil in Afghanistan could last an averagely developed country 300 years. However, for America’s current consumption rate, it would only last 30 years…

So who are the dangerous ones really?

Answer 4

First off Chris, stop the lies about people telling you to get a real job, what is that? Anyway the war in Afghanistan was legit, the world was behind it, and the world was going to help us rebuild it from the destruction that was caused from the soviet invasion. Iraq on the other had was knowen by the whole world as an instant quagmire, just look at history and the occupying armies. But now why don't you tell us the benefits in occupying a nation that had nothing to do with 911, seems to me we are just pissing off a new generation of Iraqis.

Answer 5

People understand the need for our forces in Afghanistan, but feel abused by the reasons for troops in Iraq - which is now more of a threat to us than it was when Saddam was in power. For the long term good in Iraq our troops can do a good job, but they are appallingly under resourced and should have 10 times as many serving men and women there. As a sodier, if you served in Iraq, you should feel angered by the lies that were spread to win votes in Parliament to win support for the action in the first place. You should feel worried that it has been led by the USA, who's forces know nothing about winning over the local population in a conflict area and so make it much harder for the British forces.

Answer 6

What you see as a world war on terrorism we see as a tribal war with us stuck in the middle. I served 2 years in the gulf and got to know the locals very well and saw how they handle problems and life in general they do things completely different from us. there ways and perceptions are from a medieval point of view and I find that too many either won't accept this or are ignorant of it and simply label it as evil. while you maybe a good soldier you are never ever going to win over there hearts and minds. You are an infidel and you don't belong to any tribe that matters to them. So you have a choice keep on putting your life on the line for a lost cause or get out . Unless we get the world on board with this and come up with whole new ways of under cutting the causes of terrorism we will not win. We don't have the money or the resources for such a massive under taking it's time to acknowledge there are limits to what this country can do and fighting this war in this way is one of them. GMG3 USN/USNR.

Answer 7

I would have to agree, too many people are too willing to believe the almighty all telling media. The truth is the media will only tell you what they think will sell or bring the ratings up. Ask any serving member of a NATO nation fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, Bosnia or any of another of countless nations worldwide what they are doing it for and I'm sure the resounding answer would be in favour of freedom. Freedom of oppressed peoples, freedom of the female population to equitable treatment, freedom of the children, freedom of the voters, freedom of worship etc. Simply saying it's to get the terrorists isn't the alpha and the omega of the cause.

Answer 8

Because it seems to be fashionable at the moment to call Bush and Blair terrorists and spout bollox about them being war mongers. Sadly these people are bearded liberal idiots who only know what day of the week it is by how long they have to wait to pick up their giro.
Pay no attention to them mate. The rest of us normal right thinking people are right behind you. You're doing a job that the rest of us just couldn't do. Next time you pop an AK 47 waving Rag head, put an extra round in him for me.

Answer 9

You being a serving British soldier I presume, I have every respect and commend your choice to be one, a very difficult job, under supplied and under equipped to do the roles neccessary in our modern day army, but don't let yourself be fooled into thinking it's an exercise to keep us safe here in England. It's Bush trying to finish what his father started, he's managed to get control of the oil resources of both Afganistan and Iraq, when the USA's oil reserves are depleating, now that he's got what he came for, the mess left behind has to be policed by our brave boys? Please! We need to get out and look out after our own interests, getting our men and women out there home safely, and leave the USA to deal with it!
After all we aren't getting any OIL....

Answer 10

The army is a worthwhile job and i would never dream of saying otherwise.

Protestors against iraq have been put in an impossible position of being 'with America or against America', thus attempting to stifle free speech.

Please explain how the U.S./British army's presence in Iraq is ensuring our safety? Beyond igniting civil war in a country that has never threatened the west, doesn't have nuclear weapons and of course, causing the numbers of people prepared to die for Islam to mushroom.