http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-last-exit-the-union-flag-is-lowered-british-troops-depart-and-afghanistans-next-chapter-begins-9819826.html
The "cost" to the United Kingdom alone, of this Blair/Bush adventure into Afghanistan is the lives of 453 British service personnel, and hundreds if not thousands of maimed and injured.At the end of the day, this "cost" becomes another statistic of a futile war, which never had any possibility of fulfilling the objectives set out in 2001.
The ego's of Blair and Bush, fueled by the rhetoric of politicians both here and in the United States, has resulted in what can only be described as a defeat for the western powers. The Taliban are still very much in evidence, the Poppy and opium industry is still flourishing, and the Afghan army has little if any possibility of maintaining control of even the small amount of the country that is being handed over to them
What then can you say to the families and friends of our soldiers killed while fighting this abortive war? What do you say to the thousand of injured who will for the rest of their lives bear the consequences, both physical and mental, of a futile war brought about by the ambitions and arrogance of politicians?
After almost 14 years, can we honestly say that the outcome of this wretched war in this ill-fated country was really worth "the cost"?
I do not think that we can.
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| The closure of British base marks the end of Britain’s ground war in Afghanistan |
The "cost" to the United Kingdom alone, of this Blair/Bush adventure into Afghanistan is the lives of 453 British service personnel, and hundreds if not thousands of maimed and injured.At the end of the day, this "cost" becomes another statistic of a futile war, which never had any possibility of fulfilling the objectives set out in 2001.
The ego's of Blair and Bush, fueled by the rhetoric of politicians both here and in the United States, has resulted in what can only be described as a defeat for the western powers. The Taliban are still very much in evidence, the Poppy and opium industry is still flourishing, and the Afghan army has little if any possibility of maintaining control of even the small amount of the country that is being handed over to them
What then can you say to the families and friends of our soldiers killed while fighting this abortive war? What do you say to the thousand of injured who will for the rest of their lives bear the consequences, both physical and mental, of a futile war brought about by the ambitions and arrogance of politicians?
After almost 14 years, can we honestly say that the outcome of this wretched war in this ill-fated country was really worth "the cost"?
I do not think that we can.
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