6 Soldiers Killed today RIP

[Aada]

Having done 2 Tours of Duty in that shit hole my heart goes out to them and their family's, i lost 4 friends in those 2 tours all 4 to IED's.

2014 can't come quick enough for soldiers, it's like russian roulette every time you go out on patrol that is literally how it feels everytime.

With the spring/summer coming up i fear this is just the start of more lives lost on a weekly basis.

RIP

 

[Scouse]

Can someone tell me why we're actually there again?

I mean, we've been fighting there on and off since the 1830's. What's so damn fucking important about Afghanistan that we can't just leave 'em alone?

 

[Raven]

Opiates and oil.

 

[Aada]

The general thoughts about actual soldiers on the ground is that once we leave in 2014 the Taliban will just walk back in and run it last time, the country is corrupt and the Afghan National Army is just terrible and as has been seen is easily infiltrated by the Taliban.

As Raven said it's probably down to both of the above.

 

[throdgrain]

The general thoughts about actual soldiers on the ground is that once we leave in 2014 the Taliban will just walk back in and run it last time, the country is corrupt and the Afghan National Army is just terrible and as has been seen is easily infiltrated by the Taliban.

As Raven said it's probably down to both of the above.

I reckon this is exactly what will happen, and then they will be training international terrorists again in no time. But what do you do? Let them train them?

As far as the soldiers are concerned, my deepest sympathies to them and thier families, I am a big supporter of the armed forces as I expect everyone knows. But you cant say "omg people died lets get out of there", thats what soldiers do, they go where they're told and they fight who they're told to fight. Thank god they do too.

 

[Lamp]

We've lost 404 soldiers...for what? As has been said, once we're gone, the country will revert to type.

We're just America's poodle. That 65 year old bloke recently extradited to the US for alleged arms dealing: one way traffic.

 

[Raven]

Yep, but soldiers are there to fight and to protect the public if necessary. I would rather have soldiers protecting my way of life that have seen active service than ones that haven't, not that my way of life is really affected by what goes on in Afghanistan but meh.
At the end of the day soldiers chose to do a job that very few of us are willing to do. I have a huge respect for the military and the people that moan about them should check a bit of history to see how much they owe to soldiers. If we had no standing army then we would be someone's bitch, and not in the way we seem to be Americas bitch sometimes.

Edit. posted in random spam I believe. Pretty good watch

http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_van_uhm_why_i_chose_a_gun.html

 

[throdgrain]

We've lost 404 soldiers...for what? As has been said, once we're gone, the country will revert to type.

We're just America's poodle. That 65 year old bloke recently extradited to the US for alleged arms dealing: one way traffic.

So what should we do? Not try? Then no doubt some of the liberals on here would be saying it's our fault we got blown up on the tube, we didnt stop the Afghans training suicide bombers. You cant have it both ways.

 

[Lamp]

We're naive if we actually believed our presence could make a difference to Afghanistan in the long term. Afghanistan has been invaded / occupied / attacked for hundreds of years. No one's ever tamed it. Its always been held by the natives / guerillas.

 

[Aada]

So what should we do? Not try? Then no doubt some of the liberals on here would be saying it's our fault we got blown up on the tube, we didnt stop the Afghans training suicide bombers. You cant have it both ways.

I agree we have to try and by 2014 we will have given the Afghans the opportunity to forge a new Afghan, if they go back to the old ways then fuck em, we can go with our heads held high.

I will just feel for the soldiers who have given their lives and the soldiers who have lost limbs as it will all have been for nothing.

 

[noblok]

So what should we do? Not try? Then no doubt some of the liberals on here would be saying it's our fault we got blown up on the tube, we didnt stop the Afghans training suicide bombers. You cant have it both ways.

It's a bit naive to think that occupying Afghanistan makes for a 'safer' world. It didn't prevent 7/7 or the Madrid train bombings. Mohammed Atta radicalised while living in Germany and learnt how to fly in the USA (although I'll admit he also went to Afghanistan). Terrorists can be trained everywhere. Occupying one country isn't going to make a difference to them.

 

[Deebs]

Whilst I may not always agree with our Government's decisions I fully applaud and respect the Armed Forces that protect the United Kingdom. I have always been vocal in paying an extra 2p in tax as long as the money would go to increasing the wages of the Armed Forces (and our emergency services). These guys are disciplined and follow orders no matter what they are.

As for the question as to why we are there? To tackle terrorists. Whilst we are fighting them in their own back garden they cannot attack us on our own soil. Do we really want to go back to the days of the IRA and mainland bombings?

@Noblok, you are correct but it minimises the capacity of the enemy to wage a war on several continents, be it the UK, USA, France, etc etc.

My thoughts go out to those families who have lost their kin, most had only been there for a week and were very young. True Brits, giving up their lives for the good of the people.

 

[throdgrain]

Whilst I may not always agree with our Government's decisions I fully applaud and respect the Armed Forces that protect the United Kingdom. I have always been vocal in paying an extra 2p in tax as long as the money would go to increasing the wages of the Armed Forces (and our emergency services). These guys are disciplined and follow orders no matter what they are.

As for the question as to why we are there? To tackle terrorists. Whilst we are fighting them in their own back garden they cannot attack us on our own soil. Do we really want to go back to the days of the IRA and mainland bombings?

@Noblok, you are correct but it minimises the capacity of the enemy to wage a war on several continents, be it the UK, USA, France, etc etc.

My thoughts go out to those families who have lost their kin, most had only been there for a week and were very young. True Brits, giving up their lives for the good of the people.

Good post.

 

[noblok]

As for the question as to why we are there? To tackle terrorists. Whilst we are fighting them in their own back garden they cannot attack us on our own soil. Do we really want to go back to the days of the IRA and mainland bombings?

But they did attack us on our own soil (7/7, Madrid, ...) since the occupation. Al-Qaeda is nothing like the IRA. The IRA was fighting a nationalistic battle and as such was bound to a specific territory (bombing Berlin e.g. would do nothing for them). Al-Qaeda has no such limitations. They have no ideological connection with Afghanistan that is in any way comparable to the IRA's connection to Northern Ireland. The Taliban are more similar to the IRA, but 9/11 wasn't their work. I really don't see how occupying Afghanistan is making our lives any safer. It's costing the lives of soldiers (and Afghan civilians) for no good reason whatsoever.

 

[throdgrain]

But they did attack us on our own soil (7/7, Madrid, ...) since the occupation. Al-Qaeda is nothing like the IRA. The IRA was fighting a nationalistic battle and as such was bound to a specific territory (bombing Berlin e.g. would do nothing for them). Al-Qaeda has no such limitations. They have no ideological connection with Afghanistan that is in any way comparable to the IRA's connection to Northern Ireland. The Taliban are more similar to the IRA, but 9/11 wasn't their work. I really don't see how occupying Afghanistan is making our lives any safer. It's costing the lives of soldiers for no good reason whatsoever.

Your suggestion, like most of the people's on here, seems to be to just lie down and do nothing about it

 

[Deebs]

But they did attack us on our own soil (7/7, Madrid, ...) since the occupation. Al-Qaeda is nothing like the IRA. The IRA was fighting a nationalistic battle and as such was bound to a specific territory (bombing Berlin e.g. would do nothing for them). Al-Qaeda has no such limitations. They have no ideological connection with Afghanistan that is in any way comparable to the IRA's connection to Northern Ireland. The Taliban are more similar to the IRA, but 9/11 wasn't their work. I really don't see how occupying Afghanistan is making our lives any safer. It's costing the lives of soldiers (and Afghan civilians) for no good reason whatsoever.

Yes, but that was one time only, what if they were not occupied fighting our forces in their own country, they could have launched many many more attacks. Al-Qaeda has ties to the Taliban, so our forces are tying them up. The boys and girls are putting their lives on the line to protect mainland UK. Period. I will not argue this point. Their following of orders is protecting the UK public. They deserve our respect and from me they get it (having lived in a military town since 1976).

 

[noblok]

I would say trying to do something about terrorism is a good idea, but you don't tackle terrorism through conventional warfare. It makes no sense to occupy a country if the organisation you're trying to get to is not inherently tied to that country.

The best long-term approach would be to tackle the issues which drive people to terrorism (whatever those may be). However as this won't wipe out terrorism (at least not in the short-term), counterterrorism is something I support. Infiltrating in their network, destabilising it, bringing their members to justice, ... Not occupying a country "because it harboured terrorists". There probably isn't a country in Europe right now not 'harbouring terrorists'.

Edit: In reply to Deebs' 'one time only': how many times was London attacked by muslim suicide bombers before the occupation of Afghanistan?

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Condolences to the families of the soldiers that died.

Respect to the squaddies past and present that have been / are out in such places.

 

[chipper]

could go on a rant but that would take away what this thread is all about

RIP lads you served your country and you will be remembered my thoughts go out to the familys and friends affected

 

[CorNokZ]

Fearing next February when my brother goes back to Helman. He, and all of us back home, had a huge scare last time when he hit an old Russian land mine dropped by the Taliban. Thankfully the Danish APCs have a thick layer of armor so none of them got seriously hurt.

My thoughts goes out to their families and friends. I always get a lump in my throat when I hear of fallen soldiers

 

[Scouse]

Was speaking to a friend who's been withdrawn to Kabul for the moment because of a few deaths where he was beforehand. He'll be going back soon when it cools off slightly.

I miss him, hope he comes back safe. I feel bad for all of the people who die out there - including the Afghani's.

However, I feel worse for people who die at home doing peaceful stuff (e.g. a machine worker who gets pulled into a mangle) and have utter contempt for "the job".

 

[Job]

I think you need to watch Rambo3.
How we all cheered when the Russian soldiers got shot and blown to bits, imagine if the Russians invented a superhero now and had him in Afghanistan massacring UK troops.
Nothing like boot-other-foot to make you realise how the world works.

 

[Embattle]

While sad it has been a lot better in the last year.

 

[Azurus]

I really despise the whole, 'If the afghans don't want to make use of our help, we've tried our best so fuck em' attitude. The way in which we have attempted to construct a state in Afghanistan has been severly criticised as both misguided and shortsighted. If you are going to spend billions of dollars and violate the sovereignty of a country, the onus is yours to ensure it is done in a successful manner. This is mainly a charge levelled at the policy makers and NGOs opperating within the country rather than the armed forces, although there is often overlap between the two. Failures can not simply be blamed on the Tabliban and 'those lazy afghans who don't appreciate our help'.

 

[Scouse]

US soldier kills guns ten civilians to death, wounds 5 others.

But he's had a "nervous breakdown" so that's OK then...

Aljazeera has a different take on the story, reporting "at least" 17 civilians killed, but the quote about the soldiers mental state is:

At this point we do not have an indication - we can not speculate about the individual's motives

 

[caLLous]

That is not going to help matters.

 

[Job]

An official was quoted as calling the incident 'unfortunate'
fucking unfortunate, just sums up the attitudes and prejudices, having your family massacred in the night
is a lot more than 'unfortunate', it's actually life changing ,screaming horror.

 

[Gumbo]

At least there's still a death penalty in the US Military.

 

[caLLous]

It's pretty fucking terrible tbh; he killed 15*, including 9 children*. In one house he killed 11*, doused all the bodies with a chemical* and burned them*.

*apparently

 

[megadave]

What a cunt, even if he has no respect for Afghan lives at least think of all his own countrymen who will now suffer for his actions.