"Medieval" Afghanistan needs care - UK defence chief

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Britain's top military officer described Afghanistan as "medieval" on Tuesday and said it could take decades before the country shows steady development.

Air Chief Marshall Jock Stirrup said it would be 15 years at current growth rates before Afghanistan reached the level of Bangladesh. Civilian reconstruction efforts would have to continue long after military operations.

"This is not something that could be done in one, two or three years because we are talking about a country that is essentially medieval, that has very little in the way of infrastructure, very little in the way of human resource, that has an endemic culture of corruption," Stirrup told journalists.

"This truly is a long-term endeavour. I don't think it is that long-term an endeavour for the military. I think we are talking about some years but we are not talking about decades," said the chief of the defence staff.

"In terms of developing the country from an almost medieval status, that has to be an enterprise of decades."

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24428687.htm

[saigon68]

1. OH Goody another Hundred Year War

The British have experience in that area

Let them fight it.

[Dogtown]

3. Weren't the Brits thrown out

of Afghanistan a while back, S68?

Then the Soviets.

OUR TURN!!


:cry:

[saigon68]

7. The more things change--- The more they remain the same

Wads referring to the Hundred Years War in Europe 1337 to 1453

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years'_War


The Hundred Years' War (French: Guerre de Cent Ans) was a prolonged conflict between two royal houses for the French throne, vacant with the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The two primary contenders were the House of Valois, and the House of Plantagenet. The House of Valois claimed the title of King of France, while the Plantagenets from England claimed to be Kings of France and England. The Plantagenet Kings in England, also known as the House of Anjou, had their roots in the French regions of Anjou and Normandy. French soldiers fought on both sides, with Burgundy and Aquitaine providing notable support for the Plantagenet side.

The conflict lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453. The war was punctuated by several brief periods of peace, and two lengthy periods of peace, before it finally ended in the expulsion of the Plantagenets from France (except the Calais Pale). Subtracting the two long periods of peace from 1360–69 and 1389–1415, the war was fought for about 81 years.


Joan of Arc and all that stuff !!!!

[saigon68]

8. Remember Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt

his son, Henry V, who was finally given the opportunity. In 1414, Henry turned down an Armagnac offer to restore the Brétigny frontiers in return for his support. Instead, he demanded a return to the territorial status during the reign of Henry II. In August 1415, he landed with an army at Harfleur and took it. Although tempted to march on Paris directly, he elected to make a raiding expedition across France toward English-occupied Calais. In a campaign reminiscent of Crécy, he found himself outmaneuvered and low on supplies, and had to make a stand against a much larger French army at the Battle of Agincourt, north of the Somme. In spite of his disadvantages, his victory was near-total, and the French defeat was catastrophic, with the loss of many of the Armagnac leaders.



From Shakespeare the quote of the Band of Brothers.

[wilt the stilt]

2. wait

I thought we are going to transform the middle east into a beacon of democracy. dumb shits

[tama]

4. Meanwhile in the neighbourhood

"A severe fuel crisis has hit northwestern Pakistan. Around 90 per cent of the filling stations have closed down due to an acute shortage of diesel that has lasted for several days and has forced truckers to park their vehicles. (6/19, #7)"
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/45479

What is the real meaning of this one symptom of end of oil era? That Britain will develop to medieval status before it developes Afganistan to modern status.

[marshall]

5. I am a student of medieval studies

People were just as likely to be happy then as they are now. Technology is not essential to a happy and fulfilled life. If they want to live in medieval circumstances that is THEIR choice to do so. We aren't cramming ipods and cell phones down the throats of Amish, why should be presume to force our modern culture on those who choose a different path?

[conspirator]

6. well said n/t

[saigon68]

9. Yes-- That says it all

[happyslug]

10. There is an old joke about Afghanistan.

Afghanistan was a country invented for mapmakers. Even Stalin did NOT try to rule the country, named someone a KING and told him to keep the natives happy by leaving them alone.

Afghanistan is NOT a Nation, the people who live there look to their tribes as what we call their "Nation". Even the Taliban used tribes as the key to ruling. The Taliban were all Pathans. The Taliban "conquest" of Afghanistan stopped when they ran across areas of Afghanistan NOT controlled by Talibans.