Stop Afghan war now, British politician says

This video from Britain is called STOP THE WAR: London protestors demand end to Afghanistan war.

From This is Gloucestershire in Britain:

Paddy Ashdown: “Afghanistan not worth one more death.”

Friday, November 16, 2012

FORMER Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown is calling for the Government to fast-track the withdrawal of troops from Afghansitan.

It would been even more interesting if the present Liberal Democrat party leader would say that. And if he, if the Conservative other government party would want to continue the bloody war, then would break up the coalition, bringing the government down.

The 11-year campaign has so far cost 438 British lives. Lord Ashdown writes in The Times today urging Britain to pull troops out of the country as quickly as “decently” possible.

He says the campaign is “not worth the life of one more soldier”.

“It is now crystal clear that we have lost in Afghanistan,” said Lord Ashdown.

“We have succeeded in only one thing; albeit the big thing we first said we went to war for – driving out al-Qaeda. In almost all other tasks we set ourselves, especially the establishment of a sustainable state, we have failed.”

The cost of life has stretched further than the battlefield. An inquest has heard how Rifleman Allan Arnold from Cirencester was found hanging in 2011 while he was home on leave.

An inquest into his death heard how he struggled to come to terms with the deaths of five comrades killed in a roadside blast in Sangin, two years earlier.

The 20-year-old soldier with 2 Rifles left a note saying he could not cope any more and apologised to his mother.

Another Gloucestershire life lost to the conflict has had his name added to a Nailsworth war memorial.

Mark Chandler, shot dead in Afghanistan, has been added to the Church Street monument.

At the time of his death Captain John Mercer, fire support commander on the patrol, described the former Archway School pupil as “the perfect soldier”.

Lance Bombardier Mark, 33, of the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, was killed in Nad-e Ali, Helmand, during a patrol that ended under intense fire back in June 2010.

Captain James Townley, who grew up near Glastonbury, was on his third tour of duty when he was killed on Friday, September 21 – the day before his 30th birthday.

He had been serving with 21 Regiment Royal Engineers when he died at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.

He is the only former Bruton Sexey’s School pupil to be added to its memorial since the Falklands conflict in 1982.

Lord Ashdown’s calls come as Government plans are finalised to exit Afghanistan by 2014.

As a former member of the Special Boat Service, he argues the word “defeat” is inappropriate because of the individual success in battles fought by British and Nato troops against the Taliban.

This year, 61 coalition soldiers have been killed in green on blue attacks – the Afghan National Army or police. Of those, 14 have been British.

See also here.

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• ‘We cannot pretend there is any more to do in Afghanistan’: Lord Ashdown urges withdrawal of troops (independent.co.uk)
• Withdraw UK troops now – Ashdown (bbc.co.uk)
• Get troops out of Afghanistan now, says Paddy Ashdown (guardian.co.uk)
• We have failed in Afghanistan and should pull out immediately says Paddy Ashdown (telegraph.co.uk)
• Ashdown: Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan Now (news.sky.com)
• LibLink: Paddy – withdraw British troops from Afghanistan now (libdemvoice.org)
• Ashdown urges withdrawal of troops (independent.ie)