A "kiss and tell" from an ex-ambassador...
... this guy has a point though.
Sherard Cowper-Coles: 'The nightly slaughter of the Taliban is profoundly wrong'
Quote:
We have been at war in Afghanistan for nearly 10 years. British troops have been fighting and dying in Helmand province since 2006. At every step along this tragic journey, we were assured by government and military officials that we were making progress, we had the right plan, and that we were winning. We didn't and we weren't, but that did not stop the relentless "happy talk" from the bearers of the official line.
I prefer the happy Lord T,
Thusly,
Quote:
I.
The charge of the gallant three hundred, the Heavy Brigade!
Down the hill, down the hill, thousands of Russians,
Thousands of horsemen, drew to the valley–and stay’d;
For Scarlett and Scarlett’s three hundred were riding by
When the points of the Russian lances arose in the sky;
And he call’d, ‘Left wheel into line!’ and they wheel’d and obey’d.
Then he look’d at the host that had halted he knew not why,
And he turn’d half round, and he bade his trumpeter sound
To the charge, and he rode on ahead, as he waved his blade
To the gallant three hundred whose glory will never die–
‘Follow,’ and up the hill, up the hill, up the hill,
Follow’d the Heavy Brigade.
.....
III.
.....
O, mad for the charge and the battle were we,
When our own good redcoats sank from sight,
Like drops of blood in a dark-gray sea,
And we turn’d to each other, whispering, all dismay’d,
‘Lost are the gallant three hundred of Scarlett’s Brigade!’
IV.
‘Lost one and all’ were the words
Mutter’d in our dismay;
But they rode like victors and lords
Thro’ the forest of lances and swords
In the heart of the Russian hordes,
They rode, or they stood at bay–
Struck with the sword-hand and slew,
Down with the bridle-hand drew
The foe from the saddle and threw
Underfoot there in the fray–
Ranged like a storm or stood like a rock
In the wave of a stormy day;
Till suddenly shock upon shock
Stagger’d the mass from without,
Drove it in wild disarray,
For our men gallopt up with a cheer and a shout,
And the foeman surged, and waver’d, and reel’d
Up the hill, up the hill, up the hill, out of the field,
And over the brow and away.
V.
Glory to each and to all, and the charge that they made!
Glory to all the three hundred, and all the Brigade!
Of course, the 300 were Scots-Irish (Greys & Inniskillens). :D
My serious point is: Do it right or don't do it at all.
My take (18 months ago) was that the political effort showed no real progress - the problem was political and not military. My posts (from 2009), One hell of a mission (IMO); Armchair view from a civilian standpoint ....; Demographic line strategy. I was not cheerful then and am not cheerful now - despite the best efforts from some very fine people in the interim. The 2005 Executive to Executive Joint Strategic Partnership with the Karzai government (which was re-affirmed in 2008) is wishful thinking unless one is willing to think in terms of a generation or two, and budget ~ $100 billion per annum to the effort.
Regards
Mike
A "kiss and tell" from an ex-ambassador...
JMA,
All to often ambassadors say 'X' after retirement, to be fair to him I expect he has been saying similar for awhile - as the article states - and this story is part of the book publicity launch.
The real question for the UK is: why has official policy apparently ignored his experienced knowledge and professional advice?
Bank fraud - another nail in the coffin?
This bank collapse was referred to a few months ago and if the USG have a secret report as JMA cited, somehow I doubt if it will be published. IIRC there was reporting that the West would be asked to bail out the bank!
Ah for the simple solution! No more cash for the banks and robust action to get the monies back, which undoubtedly will be invested outside Afghanistan.
I do wonder how Capitol Hill reacts to such news.
Afghanistan withdrawal: no significant pull out, says senior British general
The Deputy ISAF Commander has made a public comment:
Quote:
Lt Gen Bucknall, the deputy head of Nato's Afghan mission, said alliance forces must remain unchanged until autumn 2012 to consolidate gains made since US reinforcements came last year.
"The coalition has had a good winter," he said. "We have got to hold on to what we have gained and hold that over this fighting season. What we are doing is reaping the benefits of having the resources in place to match the strategy we have always had. Many of those resources only hit the ground in autumn 2010. We need, in broadest terms, that set of resources in place for two winters and two fighting seasons, which would mean we are talking about autumn 2012. This is not the time to send conflicting signals on commitment to the campaign."
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...h-general.html
How the general reconciles his views with the government's clear commitment to reduce troop levels, the political-military situation in Afghanistan (since 2001), let alone Helmand Province (UK role since 2006) and overwhelming public opposition to our commitment there eludes me.
A "kiss and tell" from an ex-ambassador...Part 2
Another review of the book by Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles 'Cables from Kabul':http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/c...ghanistan.html