We are now Funding the Taliban!

[villebones 4]

Gordon Brown has announced another great idea. lets fund the Taliban and hope that they don't use the money to attack OUR soldiers

 

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Afghanistan-Conference-In-London-UKs-Gordon-Brown-Meets-President-Hamid-Karzai-To-Discuss-Taliban/Article/201001415537372?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15537372_Afghanistan_Conference_In_London:_UKs_Gordon_Brown_Meets_President_Hamid_Karzai_To_Discuss_Taliban

[poacher3161 1,766]

Thats because he knows the taliban will never be beaten by force alone i am supprised he has not offerd them british citizenship instead like they did all the africans who commited acts of atrocity in their countrys.

[littletimmy 71]

It makes me sick to think i will be joining the army i nthe next few months to be shot at with bullet bought with the tax i pay.

 

From what i can establish, the government are claiming to be giving money to the taliban to "swop sides" so to speak? I think the thing they are forgetting is the majority of taliban are fighting for passion not money(although they might get paid, its not their reason for number 1 reason for figthing), so will not be bought off so easily.

 

Labour have just lost themselves more votes i think.

[rob.i 26]

been doing it for years then it backfires

[comanche 3,298]

I was talking to an army officer on leave from Afghanistan this weekend on this very subject and surprisingly he thought it was'nt a bad idea .

Too much is made of the "corruption",nepotism and back-handers endemic in countries like Afghanistan . To the West (who of course are squeaky clean )it is corruption ,to the Middle East it is a way of life ,a way of sharing good fortune with friends and family and buying allegiance .

 

Money talks in Afghanistan and most of the Taliban fighters are young men without much in the way of jobs or money who are easily recruited to a cause by clever and forcefull Taliban leaders . Others are of the old guard -hardened but aging warriors who have seen-off tribal rivals and the might of the Soviet Union but might well be tempted into easy retirement .

The hard- line religous fundamentalists might not be bought-off so easily. As my friend said though, considering the cost of military operations , loss of life ,not to mention the hundreds of injuries incured by our troops that we,the public ,are not supposed to know about,it might actually be cheaper in the long run to finance some sort of rehabilitation for ex Taliban .

Its not even a new idea . Throughout history armies and insurgents have been bought-off and often brought into the fold by various fiscal means .

Certainly in the area where my friend is operating the army is more involved in keeping its supply -lines open than actually making progress against the enemy .

As an officer the only realistic aim my friend has is to get his men home in one piece .

Paying the Taliban -off does'nt sit well with me but possibly if done in such a way as to promote both social improvement and a sense of mutually beneficient co-operation between the West and Middle East as wella s saving lives and limbs it might be worth a try . The trouble is that I doubt this country has the politicians capable of overseeing such a deal .

[North Country Boy 0]

I am still amazed that in this day and age and despite the number of wars that have been fought around the world, vietnam, somalia etc etc that any country who thinks it can win against a nation who will die for what it believes in is beyond me. Now being an ex armed forces member i have the utmost respect for the job that our guys are doing out there and its not their fault they are fighting this war but the politicians will never learn.