Brits to send 4000 more troops to Afghanistan.

[st333ve]

It’s a no brainer, stay here and rot on the dole or join up, learn a trade if you want but certainly have a secure job with lots of travel and adventure. No point in staying here if you are young and unemployed, it will be years before there is any growth in our so called economy again.

So send your kids to spill blood for money, for another country?

Who knows they might grow up to be the overly agressive psychological damaged meatheads that the British army wants them to be.

When theyre old men they can talk about how they fought for burger King and country, and how their friends died in a pointless war propping up a terrorist government because they wouldnt even give them a bullet proof vest.

[Breadan O'Connor]

Well done to the British. More troops are needed in Afganistan and the US can't do it all by themselves, so well done to the British for putting themsevlevs forward. I'd love to say this will lead to the rest of Europe doing the same but sadly it will not.

I don't know if you are aware that Pashtuns, from whom the Taliban draw their support, comprise in all about 29 million people in pakistan and Afghanistan.

The notion that a few thousand NATO troops can control them is ludicrous.

The terrain is ideal for guerilla warfare.

[greasytrucker]

I don't know if you are aware that Pashtuns, from whom the Taliban draw their support, comprise in all about 29 million people in pakistan and Afghanistan.

The notion that a few thousand NATO troops can control them is ludicrous.

The terrain is ideal for guerilla warfare.

Are they not training the Afghan army ?



[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoDT1NGjTR8]YouTube - British royal marines ambushed in afghanistan[/ame]

[Breadan O'Connor]

Are they not training the Afghan army ?



YouTube - British royal marines ambushed in afghanistan

General Mark Carleton Smith has admitted that the West cannot win the war.

Sooner or later they will cut a deal with the Taliban, declare "victory" and leave.

[PaulMeyer]

I think it's highly unlikely that the UK wil deploy anything like an additional 4000 troops to Afghanistan, much needed though they are. The priority in the Army is to get the correct balance of deployments, leave and training (the "Harmony Guidelines") properly established again after years of severe overstretch, and the return of troops from Iraq is the beginning of that. Were a similar number to be immediately deployed to Afg. then they would be back where they started.
I heard earlier today on the BBC that Brown has pledged about a battalions-worth for a 4 month period before and after the upcoming elections. This is much more likely and achievable I think.
As for recruiting etc. I'm told that recruiting, which has actually been quite strong for quite a while now, has improved, but more importantly retention is up, and that is where the problem really lay. Too many expensively trained and highly experienced NCO's and junior Officers leaving because of too-frequent operational tours and the inevitable detrimental effect on homelife.
Hopefully the Army will now have time to draw breath, consolidate and sort itself out again. Who knows, the very welcome increase in recruits from the Republic may even give scope for a further RIR or Irish Guards battalion!

[st333ve]

How America 'solves' problems.



Idiots.

[st333ve]

Who knows, the very welcome increase in recruits from the Republic may even give scope for a further RIR or Irish Guards battalion!

Economic conscription is not welcome, its terrible that men with families are forced into armies because of the economic downturn.
However happy it makes people like you to hear that people might die in this army, it is certainly not a positive thing to become puppet pawn of the British military.
I never heard of anyone joining during the economic boom so dont get all dilluded that these people have degraded themselves by becoming loyal paddies, they're after a wage and thats about it.

[He3]

Thats a very valid point. I spoke to a guy at Christmas in a small town in the midlands. He told me his son wanted to join the Irish army and was almost in when they told him that because of the economic downturn, there was a freeze on recruitment.

Now this man said his son was born to join the army, whatever that means.
So he went at Christmas and joined the British army. He was excepted and the same week 50 other young lads from the republic were accepted to. I'd say there is a lot of Irish joining.

Their very foolish in my opinion. Maybe events in the North recently might stem the flow abit.

Economic conscription is on the rise. It keeps the US military well stocked with recruits too.

[Partizan]

I disagree; the events in the north recently were just random criminal acts by murderous thugs who represent no one but themselves. There will be a deluge of young Irish lads joining the British army over the next couple of years. It’s the only way out for some of them as our economy has failed.

Isnt it amazing how history has repeated itself. In August 1914 you could have said the exact same thing. Economy in tatters at home, out of work, desperate to feed the family = join the army for adventure, excitement and money and by jingo we go.

Only this time its not the bosch, but millions of angry Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan fighting in ideal guerilla country. Is Billy Timmins the new John Redmond?

Personally I would rather eat my own excrement than put on a British army uniform.

[Mr Crowley]

Personally I would rather eat my own excrement than put on a British army uniform.

Our friend Bernard was in the queen's navy so who knows who's excrement he has tasted.