UK's Afghan Agony Raises US Fears

[tekisui]

Source: Financial Times

Britain's increasingly heated debate about its role in Afghanistan has sparked concern in Washington about the sustainability of the military strategy and the US public's own willingness to commit troops for the long term, senior officials and analysts say.

The death of 15 British soldiers in two weeks has led to agonising in the UK over the Afghanistan war, with the military pushing for more troops in Helmand province, opposition parties calling for better equipment and the renewal of discussion about why the UK is taking part.

A senior US official told the Financial Times that there was "some level of anxiety" within Barack Obama's administration about the UK debate.

"It's hard to see our most capable partner struggling in this debate," the official said. "When it happens in a country like Germany, you think, 'well, that's Germany and they have special difficulties in light of the upcoming elections', but when it happens in London it hits hard."

The official added: "If we are going to have to backfill European countries that decide to leave, could we sustain that with US public opinion? That's an open question."

more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cda25250-71a0-11de-a821-00144feabdc0.html

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My question is why is the UK public more aware and more vocal against the Afghanistan War than the US? I hope UK decides to get out soon, maybe then the US public will pay attention to the reality.

[tekisui]

1. Thank you, UK. Lead the way out.

[G_j]

2. Canadian opposition to Afghan mission mounts

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/canadianopposition-to-afghan-mission-93235.html

Canadian opposition to Afghan mission mounts

By CHARMAINE NORONHA
The Associated Press

TORONTO — As the death toll of Canadian soldiers and their NATO allies mounts in Afghanistan, so does the growing opposition to Canada's mission there.

Canadian research company EKOS released a poll Thursday indicating that 54 percent of respondents opposed Canada's mission, while 34 percent said they support it. Twelve percent were undecided.

Meanwhile, authorities said a Canadian soldier died southwest of Kandahar. That brings to 125 the number of Canadian soldiers who have been killed as since the Afghan mission began in 2002.

Canada's latest casualty also brings the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this month to 47, making July the deadliest month of the war for foreign troops.

According to EKOS tracking data, when Canada first sent soldiers to Afghanistan in 2002 public opposition to the mission hovered around 20 percent.

..more..

[tekisui]

4. I still can't figure out why Americans are not ready for this war to be

over. Even here on DU, there are plenty of defender of the AfPak war. It started before the Iraq invasion. The same war profiteering is going on there. The same loss of innocent life.The same loss of US life. The same style occupation. It just doesn't compute in my mind.

[G_j]

6. I agree completely

it's quite disheartening, the peace movement in this country is critically ill.
In a sense, Obama may be the last nail in the coffin, we were so desperate after Bush.
Ideally, we should have had tens of thousands in DC and around the country demonstrating, months ago.

[malaise]

3. Good

Get the fuck out.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. The Brits are counting their dead in a lost war. We're ignoring ours.

But, the politicians will build them a pretty memorial for their "sacrifice" for political PR.