The British and Afghanistan: strategic issues
Levi you cited:
Quote:
Davidfpo is for England (is it ok to call it that, or is it always Britain?) leaving on schedule, and he thinks bad things will happen when they do.
Minor point, I am British.
Yes bad things will happen in Afghanistan, a country that has had few periods of peace and national development in it's history. I have no "crystal ball" as to what will happen. Whether the Taliban coalition or the national government "wins" is unclear.
Anyway back to my view of British national strategic objectives. Afghanistan is nothing compared to Pakistan's importance for the UK, although I do concede heroin production in Afghanistan is a strategic issue for the UK. Yes, AQ-related terrorism needs to be defeated; it's just that I don't think there is much of a threat in Afghanistan from that and open sources indicate the problem is in Pakistan, not just the FATA either. Slowly I have become to doubt the value of our military role in Afghanistan, where history alone makes us an enemy of too many Afghans or Pathans. The UK has a limited strategic resources and they can be better used elsewhere.
Overwhelming my view is the simple fact that our paramount national strategic objective is to remain the USA's special friend.
If the USA goes we go, if you stay we stay. For sometime I have thought we may well be the only non-US ISAF partner at the end.