Independent UK: Broke Britain 'can no longer afford role in Afghanistan'

[marmar]

Broke Britain 'can no longer afford role in Afghanistan'
Cash, not casualties, could be the factor that finally forces a scaling down of military commitment

By Jonathan Owen

Sunday, 23 May 2010


British soldiers in Afghanistan are "horribly over-extended" and being killed for "no good reason", a senior military figure admitted last night. He said talks are now under way with US commanders that would pave the way for Britain to begin scaling down its commitment to the war, bringing about a change of emphasis in its deployment.

Britain's 10,000-strong force is suffering "appalling" casualty rates and is set to be given a break from the worst of the fighting, according to the source. "The Americans know the Brits have been giving more than they can afford, and agree that they should be kept out of harm's way as far as possible. But McChrystal is keen to have the input of some ground troops and special forces," the source said. "Essentially, the Americans know we are broke and we are getting blokes killed for no good reason. Whatever the MoD says, it absolutely isn't business as usual."

He added: "The problem is that the Afghan troops are not yet ready to take over, and training them up is not something the Afghan government can afford." And the reputation of British forces is suffering. The source told the IoS that one senior figure in the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) had commented recently: "There is no point in sending British troops into places where they need helicopters, because they ain't got 'em."

With the Ministry of Defence facing a £36bn budget black hole over the next decade and savage cuts likely under the defence review, politicians are warning that the war has become financially untenable. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/broke-britain-can-no-longer-afford-role-in-afghanistan-1980687.html

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Only one thing -- the bond market --

...can trump the UK Conservatives' fixation with having the UK 'punch above its weight'.

[CountAllVotes]

2. and the toxic gulf

needs our troops home now to help with this damned mess!

:kick:

[Lithos]

3. Let you in on a little secret

Neither can the US...

[CountAllVotes]

4. Obama has his chance to get us out now

he can redeploy all American troops to the homeland.

Welcome home soldiers!! :patriot:

:dem:

[Lithos]

11. I would love to see them come home

Need to get the Pashtuns on board - figure a way to get them and exclude the Taliban. If we can do that, things are golden. That kind of thing is diplomatic and not military in nature.

[CountAllVotes]

12. bring 'em home now

they are greatly needed on the homeland!!

:kick:

[glinda]

14. I would like my stepson to come home.

[Fumesucker]

5. "No one could have predicted"..

Except of course that millions did just that..

But we were ignored by the war cheerleaders.

That sound you hear is the chickens coming home to roost on the corpse of our democracies.

[Mojambo]

6. If only they'd get rid of that wasteful NHS. n/t

[IndianaGreen]

7. And neither can the US afford Obama's wars!

Bring all the troops home, and put them to clean up the Gulf!

[CountAllVotes]

13. +++1,000,000,000,000,000

n/t

:kick:

[madrchsod]

8. so are we but that does`t stop obama...

[gratuitous]

9. Wow, what a bunch of wimps

If you're not willing to completely bankrupt your country, how can you claim fealty to the High Church of Redemptive Violence? So sad to see Britain go apostate like that. Well, not the good old U.S. and A., by golly! We're in it to win it, whatever in hell that means, and we don't let down Violence like that.

[flvegan]

10. At least Britain can admit it. The US? Not smart enough to do so.

Not smart enough to act on it either.