Do you think we are losing the battle in AFGHANISTAN?

Question

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=21023
QUOTE "Foreign powers are clearly failing in Afghanistan; they neither won hearts and minds nor contributed to the stability and rebuilding of the country in any meaningful way, says Ramzy Baroud."

I know the British troops place huge importence on winning hearts and minds based on 35 years of TRIED AND TESTED experience in Northern Ireland, but, with so many Allies having thier own agendas, could those be sending out mixed messages resulting in the ultimate goal taking longer to acheive?

The answers so far (ie first five answers) make it sound that our lads who gave thier lives, have given it for NOTHING...CAN THAT REALLY BE WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING HERE?

Surely, there are ppl here who can share experiences of what GOOD they have brought to local ppl here in AFGHANISTAN, oh things like, re-utilising stuff they have no need of - like wood, pipes etc that can provide playround equipment for local schools rather than throw it away or burn it to release space in the base...or using thier vehicles to dig large areas to help a local farmer willing to change crops from poppies to more acceptable crops.. help with drainage to those farmers willing to change crops.. etc all this extra help whilst continuing with thier daily patrols etc helping bcos they WANT to NOT out of sense of guilt.

C'mon ppl, give us this side of the picture - the picture the media don't want to share with Joe Public.As someone said below, there IS indeed more than one side to any story.

Answer 1

if the battle is to increase poppy production you are winning.

Answer 2

The problem is that we are never going to know the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The British military are in particular very secretive and very aware also of history.

In the first Afghan war of c1860 something like 60,000 British soldiers were killed. It was a lost cause then and probably is today.

Look at it like this. The Afghan warrior wears cheap clothing, eats on the march from the villages he passes through, wears plastic sandals and carries a cheap copy of a Kalashnikov assault rifle made somewhere in a back street fake rifle factory in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the British soldier is supplied with food in cans, wears an expensive all weather uniform, body armour is weighted down with lots of ammo and is boiling in a climate for which he is not designed.

Bad situation getting worse.

Answer 3

We are NOT losing the battle. But "winning the hearts and minds" is not as simple as it may sound. It takes a long period of proof that the allies are there for the own good of the Afghani people, while overcoming the enemy propaganda that the western militaries are doing things as outrageous as eating kids. This is a world unlike any the western world can understand. Low literacy rates and lack of technology mean that most news is passed by word of mouth.

They have no concept of a building 1700 feet tall.

On the other hand, as populations of the country begin to come in contact more with western forces, they begin to understand the huge difference. They begin to look for ways to rid themselves of the threats and murders of the Taliban. But they also know they must be careful to not become the victim of the Taliban in the process.

The Taliban are in a constant struggle to maintain any territory.

Answer 4

I think Afganistan is where Mexico, Russia, Columbia and some African nations are with gangs carrying machine guns and rocket launchers while wacking people in from of the cops (or by paid off cops).

The Taliban don't have armed aircraft, but FARC in Columbia and the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka do.

It would take far to much to bring a third world country to a first world country that the countries there are willing to spend. It takes more than money. They have to end corruption, abid by government laws rather than tribal laws and they have to think on a national level and not a tribal one. That's one of the reason why it will be too hard to win the hearts and minds. They are far too greedy like people on welfare finding that they can make more money off of welfare than getting a job.

Also it's hard to say who is Taliban and who isn't. Every thug in Afganistan proclaims himself as Taliban to increase the fear factor. NATO can prevent the Taliban from coming back to rule the country while destroying foriegn terrorists that come there looking for money and glory. They can also find how terrorists fund themselves and shut those down.

Answer 5

Read up on the Afghan Wars, especially the First. The Brits have invaded Afghanistan half a dozen times and failed miserably every time

Ask Dr Brydon

Answer 6

The solution woud bee a couple of nuclear bombs to clean all the ******* Iraq and Afganista becouse i had enought of their brave talking they are hiding like rats ******* cowards i ******* hate them all and to show them who is the boss becouse the muslims are people who are not acepting the reality.The bombs shoud by fired after a mass migration of the civilians under a the strict whaching of the alied forces.And after this migration and ful distruction of Iraq and Afganistan the terorist are keep boming the innocent people the only way to end this woud bee mas execution i know this is sounding sick but i think this is the only way.
sorry for my english.

Answer 7

First, define winning. Is winning changing Afghanistan into a clone of a modern city in the west? Are we going to bring slaves and treasures home with us? Will Afghanistan become a strong Allie of the west? If western powers ever want to leave Afghanistan, they must first define what winning is. Everything else is a waste of time and money.

Answer 8

It is won already, the fractious nature of the people and their warlords will always be there. But the Taliban is hiding in the mountains of Bora Bora and comes out to make sniper attacks or ambushes. They are waiting for the US troops to leave as they know they can not survive an open confrontation with them. The problem facing the afghani government is uniting enough factions and warlords to maintain a continuous army,police,and militia to ensure that the Taliban does not succeed in overtaking them when the US pulls out.

Answer 9

We are winning a war that is so incredibly complex that it defies the short over simplified explanations by the media. Also, our soldiers rock!

Answer 10

We've lost in Afghanistan and Iraq too

Answer 11

Yes , just remember, they are two side to reports of the News,
however the Truth is rarely involved.