BBC News: Reports on the US plan to send between twenty and thirty thousand more troops to Afghanistan, also that the UK is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan. If we are going to do this foolish thing lets do it right, lets make sure UK troops have the right equipment and that we can hit hit the terrorists bases in Pakistan, the War in Afghanistan has an echo of the War in Vietnam, the Viet Cong could never be defeated as they had support from North Vietnam, thus we have the same problem in Afghanistan, the badlands of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a safe heaven for the terrorists. In the Imperial Days the place was a no go area for the British Army, same problem, this time we cant just drop a bomb on the locals. In looking at the military situation on the border we have to accept that if we cant bulldoze the mountains we have to get the tribal leaders on our side, through talking or money, don't care really as long as they come over to the Western side and tell us in which house the terrorists are hiding. In other words we have to win the hearts and minds of the locals, that is often done with hard cash. Also we have help the locals see that it benefits them to help us, help them get work and also help with the infrastructure, Schools, Hospitals and Libraries to allow the local people to see that the West can help the civic structure. Then after the carrot we come to the big stick, we have to show that the West can be tough and ruthless, we have to make the locals see that they have only one choice, if need be go in heavy handed, bomb the place back to the stone age if need be, this is very much the last option but I don't want to see UK troops in Afghanistan for the next fifty years and losing more troops along the way. Lets have new ideas, the carrot and stick but lets win at the end of the day.
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