what are the british army doing in afganistan?

Question

i.e. strategicly / what are they protecting

Answer 1

So far as I know, the Brits are doing the same thing as we Canadians are doing. They have a two-branched mission out there. One is for reconstruction, getting locals to rebuild roads and schools and dig wells. What they need to have a good life, as well as convincing farmers to grow things like wheat and produce instead of opium poppies.

That's the side of the house the media never speaks of, because it's largely successful and pretty bloody boring. Knowing that a troop of field engineers assisted 50 locals in building a road between some distant village and the main highway won't get people's attention.

However, the part that gets the attention of people is the British contribution to ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force, which is a NATO mission. Right alongside other nations, British soldiers are securing various areas of Afghanistan. They do that job in order to make it possible for reconstruction to happen and to spread the authority of the lawful Karzai government. This is not a war for oil or for precious metals. Granted, Afghanistan is in a strategic location for a war against an eastern foe, but the main reason is security at home. Afghanistan has 2 major imports. Opium/Heroin poppies and terrorists. Now, these people go and operate, raise funds, train, scheme and hide their families in Western countries, such as the UK or Canada, or the US. We are going to the source of this stream of dangerous people crossing our borders. That simple.

Answer 2

The British in Afghanistan are mostly getting shot at.

We have sent a very small force in to help reconstruct the country & chase the resurging Taliban.

There arnt enough troops, not enough armoured vehicles or aircraft, and the message from the Army is that our troops are undetaking "the most sustained period of fighting since WW2".

I can only imagine how bloody awful it is.

Answer 3

I believe their role is to support the newly installed govt in Afghanistan, and to seek out and destroy forces of instability in the country. As to what they are protecting, they can barely protect themselves, but ask G W and he would say freedom and democracy I am sure, which is fine but should not be forced upon a country or a people. All stable democracies around the world have one thing in common, the people themselves rose up and fought for it, without outside help. Help during a war or invasion is another matter.

Answer 4

Hi Alan,
At the moment there aren't so many news coming from Afghanistan, cause all attention is focused on present Iraq.
I think that British troops like the Italians ones , are trying to establish security and taking care of human aid conditions. But sincerely I can't be so sure. There are many aspects of this mission which aren't shown in TV news and newspapers.
Anyway let's think positive!
Thanks for your question.

Simon (from Milan).

Answer 5

Tony Blairs Ego
The Guardian / Independants Editors, and other people crying "something must be done", but never "something must be done, by me right now", its usually "something must be done, BUT by someone else on my behalf, wholst I stay safe"

the excuses proferred are to defend the Afghan Government and establish Law & Order, helping the reconstruction of Afghanistan, establishing the rule of law, detering the drugs trade, stopping hte Taliban rising to power, stopping the influence of Iran in Afghanistan

Answer 6

to all the ignorant people with comments re. the us, prime minister, etc - learn your facts before you post rubbish.

the british are the main fighting force in afghan, not the us. we're not just following the yanks around.

we are there as the main force for the UN "in support of the International Community to make the lives of ordinary Afghans better".

this is from when the paras were there: http://www.army.mod.uk/16_air_asslt_bde/why_are_we_in_afghanistan_.htm

Answer 7

They are there because Blair couldn't say no to Bush, as usual. Given that the UK forces were already over-stretched by commitments to Iraq, intervention in Afghanistan could only be the result of a decision by an unwise politician.

However, the gangsters who have been in power in Afghanistan are a genuine threat to the UK. Apart from the "terrorism" threat, Afghanistan is a major source of heroin that ruins the lives of many British people, causes a large proportion of UK crime and as a result threatens the stability of UK society. This threat needs to be addressed, but whether British army occupation of Afghanistan is an effective, or the best, way of doing so is another matter.

Perhaps it is worth commenting that, as far as I understand it as a non-believer, peddling heroin is contrary to the Prophet Mohammed's preaching of moderation, witness for instance his stance on alcohol. The Afghanistan gangsters are misusing their religion in an attempt to mislead Muslims abroad into supporting them.

Blair ought to pay more attention to history, such as the disastrous invasions of Afghanistan by Britain in the nineteenth century and the fall of the Soviet Union following its invasion of Afghanistn in the 1980s.

Answer 8

Afghanistan is a great training exercise out troops have been held up for to long ever since peace in Ulster. We are masters of Urban combat thanks to Ulster and now we need to test our skills in a different theatre of war then we teach the Yanks how to do it and Bug out as usual....

Oh and not to put a downer on things but you can't win in Alpha Foxtrot ask the Russians..

Answer 9

Following their Comrades in arms the US army

Answer 10

I thought after 9/11 they and the US forces went to find the Taliban?