UK Policy in Afghanistan

Telegraph: Reports on a apparent split within the Coalition Government when it comes to Afghan Policy, the split it seems is in Conservative side of the Coalition, the Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox is following the VP Biden line in many respects of wanting to get troops out of Afghanistan, while other Ministers are for nation building. Lets be clear the Labour Government under Gordon Brown failed in Afghanistan, the death rate has gone up month after month and year after year, what is the exit rout out of Afghanistan, the civic structure of Afghanistan is feudal in many respects, that is not something you can change is years or decades, it will take longer, the question the new Coalition Government should be asking is how to get out of Afghanistan, we cant win in Afghanistan, all the UK can do is create more problems down the line for UK security, lets be clear the UK can keep an eye on Afghanistan from Pakistan through the ISI the intelligence network of Pakistan, also the UK can use the SAS and the SBS to take out any threat to UK interests. It is time to get out of Afghanistan.

Another Tet Offensive ? - Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports that the Taliban/Al Qaeda have attacked the main NATO base in Kandahar Southern Afghanistan. It can be postulated that President Obama should start to really worry about Afghanistan, a major military offensive by NATO is developing around Kandahar and what do we see, the Taliban/Al Qaeda are on the attack, one's gut gets the feeling that we are seeing another Tet Offensive ( Viet Cong attack on in US Forces in Southern Vietnam in 1968 ), as with Tet its not that attack that counts, its the PR, in 1968 the US Forces won the Battle of Tet but lost the War at home, the Obama Administration plans start the withdrawal of US troops in 2011, either President will follow through and lose Afghanistan and Pakistan or he will reverse course, lets recall it was Vietnam that bought down LBJ. The Taliban / Al Qaeda are not fools, they do read history, they also see that Obama is down in the polls, thus expect more close attacks on US Forces in Afghanistan and around the Capitol of Kabul. A 2011 time table plays in to the hands of the Taliban, thus Obama has a problem, if he does start to take troops out he is stating that the Taliban have won, if he reverse course the American left will not support him in 2012, Obama can not afford to lose Afghanistan, thus my prediction that Obama will either not run in 2012 or will lose by 49 states.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the British Soldier killed on Friday in Afghanistan, the Soldier was " Cpl Stephen Walker from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Forces Sangin ". Our thoughts are with the family of Cpl Walker.

Labour and The Iraq War

Guardian: Reports on the views of the Labour Leadership Candidate Ed Miliband that the Iraq War caused massive damage to the Labour Party. Thus it seems that Labour is opposition is going to blame Tony Blair for their defeat, the left of the Party will be happy to see front runners for the leadership throw scorn on Tony Blair and the Iraq War. It can be argued this is a good political move by the younger Miliband, the burial of New Labour started after the election defeat, it seems now that Blair and Brown are being thrown under the bus as to allow Labour to show a fresh and different face, Mr Blair should ask Lady Thatcher how that feels, it hurts folks.

Ashes to Ashes ( Spoiler Alert )

Thus folks Friday nights will not be the same, no more Gene Hunt, no more Alex, Ray, Chris, Shaz. Without giving the ending away cant they take Gene back to the start of the 20th Century, Gene and Ray would look like Guardian readers to those coppers. Come on BBC take the creators out and buy them a drink and get them to write a new series. Spoiler Alert, if you click link it will take you to a Guardian Article on the final show, you have been warned, the Guv would not like it if you jumped to the end if you didn't watch Life on Mars and the Ashes to Ashes from the Start, Respect to the Guv.

Obama vs Liberals and Terror Rights

The New York Times: Reports that a US Federal Court has withheld US rights to suspect non Afghan terrorists being held in Afghanistan. For a change the Obama Administration wanted this verdict, more important its the right verdict, you cant have suspect terrorists caught outside the US and placed in other Sovereign nations coming under US law, that would be a form of paternal racism, if the Afghan Government don't have a problem with the US system of dealing with terrorists then the US Courts should keep their nose out of the process, lawyers don't win wars but they can lose a War.

Command and Control - The UK in Afghanistan

Telegraph: Reports that the eight thousand UK Forces in Helmand Province, Afghanistan are to be placed under US Command. Lets hope the US have better tactics than the UK commanders have shown so far, the UK level of attrition of Forces is to high for the UK Army to take, lets see what new bright ideas come out of the US Defence Department, they cant be worse than the MOD, correction after Iraq and Vietnam taking that under advisement.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another British Soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the Soldier was a " Royal Marine from 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Forces Sangin ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 286 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total it has lost 252 in combat operations and 34 due to illness, accidents and other incidents. It was reported on Friday that UK Forces would be under US command, is that a good idea, don't fancy our brave soldiers being cannon fodder for the US military.