Diary
Lib-Con naivety in Afghanistan
9 July, 2010
Con Coughlin has launched a blistering attack on the Lib-Con military strategy in Afghanistan. He is quite right to do so for the Lib Dems, whose MP, Nick Harvey, is now the Armed Forces Minister, have made much of running down our defence forces and military commitments in an ideological bid to become more ‘European.’ Thus they have savaged the Trident nuclear deterrent as well as our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it is in Afghanistan that the Lib Dem element in this coalition could do the most lasting damage. As Coughlin points out:
‘To grasp the sheer naivety of their position, you need look no further than a resolution they passed at their most recent conference. The motion said that the government's priority in Afghanistan should be the "pursuit of a ceasefire", which would then be followed by an immediate withdrawal. Nick Clegg, now Deputy Prime Minister, voted in favour.’
Talk of a ceasefire and a negotiated outcome to the Afghan conflict is ultra European because it eschews militarism and violence in favour of dialogue and lawful outcomes. There is only one problem though: the Taleban aren’t much interested in conflict resolution. Put more simply, they are only interested in a negotiated outcome that leaves them in control of Afghanistan and in a position to attempt the Talebanisation of neighbouring Pakistan – a country with nuclear weapons.
Yet that appears to be one possible outcome of what Mr. Harvey is attempting with our military. He ‘wants a sharp reduction in manning levels throughout the Armed Forces, with far more emphasis on sophisticated weaponry.’ Recent history shows how inadequate this approach is. Coughlin again points out:
‘The main reason the violence spun out of control in Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime was the refusal to commit sufficient numbers of troops. The same has been true of Afghanistan, where it is only the recent arrival of extra American forces that has truly enabled the fight to be taken to the Taliban.’
One of the reasons why British troops are being withdrawn from Sangin is that there simply aren’t enough of them, leaving the Americans, with their greater troop strength, to fill the gap. That sounds fine until you realise that the Americans themselves are talking of a timetable for withdrawal from next year. This is great news for the Taleban who will count the days until troops start to leave the country, before declaring that they have scored a momentous victory against the 'infidel' superpower. Well might they believe that victory lies just around the corner. We should all be rather worried.
Post to Delicious