Failure in Afghanistan risks rise in terror, say generals

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24699

Failure in Afghanistan risks rise in terror, say generals
Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2007-07-15 06:03. Media

Military chiefs warn No.10 that defeat could lead to change of regime in Pakistan
By Nicholas Watt and Ned Temko, The Observer

Britain's most senior generals have issued a blunt warning to Downing Street that the military campaign in Afghanistan is facing a catastrophic failure, a development that could lead to an Islamist government seizing power in neighbouring Pakistan.

Amid fears that London and Washington are taking their eye off Afghanistan as they grapple with Iraq, the generals have told Number 10 that the collapse of the government in Afghanistan, headed by Hamid Karzai, would present a grave threat to the security of Britain.

Lord Inge, the former chief of the defence staff, highlighted their fears in public last week when he warned of a 'strategic failure' in Afghanistan. The Observer understands that Inge was speaking with the direct authority of the general staff when he made an intervention in a House of Lords debate.

'The situation in Afghanistan is much worse than many people recognise,' Inge told peers. 'We need to face up to that issue, the consequence of strategic failure in Afghanistan and what that would mean for Nato... We need to recognise that the situation - in my view, and I have recently been in Afghanistan - is much, much more serious than people want to recognise.'

Inge's remarks reflect the fears of serving generals that the government is so overwhelmed by Iraq that it is in danger of losing sight of the threat of failure in Afghanistan. One source, who is familiar with the fears of the senior officers, told The Observer: 'If you talk privately to the generals they are very very worried. You heard it in Inge's speech. Inge said we are failing and remember Inge speaks for the generals.'

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[acmavm]

1. Hmmmmm. I wonder what would have happened if certain people

would have concentrated on the primary target and not decided to declare war on a defenseless, innocent nation?

Probably not this, huh?

:sarcasm:

[jimshoes]

2. They told us the same thing

if we were to leave Viet Nam. The Domino Effect is what it was called back then. The commies would take over country after country if we didn't stop the red menace right then. It turned out to be a wholly fabricated bogeyman story as the neighboring countries managed well enough without our presence. In fact we're even trading with the Vietnamese now if I'm not mistaken. There's even a photo of the decider under s statue of Ho Chi Mihn around.