UK tries to form coalition to fight in Afghanistan

[occuserpens]

No, after Iraq, all this is not likely to work.

Simon Tisdall, Richard Norton-Taylor. UK tries to form coalition to fight in Afghanistan

Britain is attempting to build a coalition to pursue counter-insurgency combat operations against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan after the withdrawal by the Bush administration of 4,000 US troops early next year.
Talks with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and several other countries are being held before a Nato meeting in Brussels on December 7. They follow the refusal of European allies, such as France and Germany, to allow their troops to become involved in counter-insurgency.
The discussions are among preparations for the deployment of 2,000 crack British troops backed by Apache attack helicopters to lawless Helmand province at the head of an expanded, British-led Nato force next spring.
Violence in Afghanistan is at its highest since the 2001 US-led invasion. Suicide bombers killed a German peacekeeper in Kabul yesterday. A British soldier died recently in a gun battle in Mazar-i-Sharif.
The deployments will raise British troops in Afghanistan to more than 4,000 compared with 8,500 in south-east Iraq.

[daleo]

1. Stephen Harper, leader of Canada's Conservative Party would like this

It would be his chance to play war leader, if he was to win the (possibly) upcoming election in Canada. Otherwise, I don't think Canadians are very keen on getting tied up in a guerrilla war in Afghanistan, with all that implies.

[enigma000]

2. Already involved

In February, the Canadian Forces will also be deploying into Kandahar province a brigade headquarters of about 350 personnel that will command the multi-national force there for nine months. At the same time, we will be deploying a Task Force of about 1,000 troops into Kandahar for one year. As an essential complement to the reconstruction efforts of our PRT, this force will provide much needed security in the region.

We have also recently deployed elements of JTF2, Canada's elite special- forces unit, into southern Afghanistan to work with our allies in counter-insurgency operations, again to help provide security and stability so re-building can take place.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1805

[daleo]

3. True, there are troops there

And the nature of the mission has evolved into a more offensive one, or so we are told. But Blair's plan seems to be much further along the "search and destroy" line.

[enigma000]

4. The way things are looking

We can go to the Taliban or they can come to us. Either way, it looks like the fighting will continue......

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Isn't that war over with?

And I was thinking that we "won" one. Silly me.

[kskiska]

6. Been there, done that.

[Barrett808]

7. Weren't the Brits concerned about "complete strategic failure" earlier?

In Afghanstan, earlier this year?