The Shadow of the Taliban

The Times: Reports that latest British Soldier to die in Afghanistan was in a district that was supposed to have been cleared of the Taliban, as the article notes so far the District of Babaji has been deadly to UK forces since the end of Operation Panther’s Claw, the UK has lost five soldiers with the death today. Thus the need for the UK to send more forces, the point of the new strategy by the US Military is to gain security for the local population, but if we cant secure our own forces how can can we gain security for the local population. The latest death is pure PR terms is not good for the UK, the Taliban from their twisted cowardice view of the world have had a success, and back home in the UK the Labour Government will come under more pressure to get out of Afghanistan. At the end of the day we need boots on the ground, we need keep and secure areas we take from the Taliban, it is pointless to gain ground if the West can not secure the security of the population and its own forces. It is about time that PM Gordon Brown accept that he cant not fight a war on the cheap, we are either in our out, and since it does not look like we are leaving soon, our troops and our reputation needs protection. The problem for PM Brown is that the UK economy is in the sewers, there might be green leaves in some aspects of the economy but people are still out of work, and the UK is in debt big time. Thus what ever government take over in 2010 after the General Election there will have to be cuts, but this time it cant be defence, we have a major commitment to Afghanistan, thus either Labour or Conservatives will have to find cuts in other departments, this will hurt either party. But at the end of the day to protect our troops and the honour of the UK we have to send more troops, keep them secure and give security to the people of Afghanistan.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another British soldier has died in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, operating with The Light Dragoons Battle Group " Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 214 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total, 183 have died due to combat operations, another 31 have died to illness, accidents or other incidents. On the whole September has seen a decline in the death toll for UK forces, so far only four deaths this month. Lets hope there are not more deaths, it seems that it is US forces that are taking the brunt of losses due to the Obama surge. It can be postulated that there will be more sad days for the families of Western Forces in Afghanistan.