Readers’ thoughts on Britain’s role in the invasion of Afghanistan

Welcome to openDemocracy’s weekly reader comments round-up. We receive so many carefully considered messages about our work, it seems a shame to keep them to ourselves.

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These comments have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length, and aren’t necessarily a reflection of openDemocracy’s editorial position.

Re: How Britain blundered into war in Helmand to please the US

It’s a no-brainer. Quite apart from Britain, the whole world – barring China, Russia, & North Korea – has long been sucking up to the US. A few countries are now making bold moves in decoupling from the US, and well may they succeed. It’s an idea whose time has come. The world needs more of their ilk to follow suit, if it is to usher in a new and saner world order. Apart from being the world’s number one bully and a terrorist state, the US is the world’s number one liability for its allies and foes alike.

For its part, Britain has a lot to answer for. It has never displayed even a modicum of shame or integrity in acknowledging its own shenanigans. Its record of behaviour, or should we say misbehaviour, in its erstwhile colonies is a justifiable cause to set up Nuremberg-style trials to convict criminals like Winston Churchill for orchestrating the Bengal famine that took the lives of millions. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is another case in point, one of the myriad atrocities which Britain has shamelessly refused to make reparations for.

It is undisputed that the US invaded Iraq on false pretexts, knowing full well that there were no WMD’s there. George Bush asked Tony Blair to jump in, and Blair asked how high. Such is the level of crass servitude. It was the same for Afghanistan. And what a mess it was when they 'left' Afghanistan. Except, they didn’t leave – they fled like a mouse in ambush, disgracefully defecating along the way for the whole world to see. Those images of teenage children falling out from the underbelly of planes should haunt every American and British politician, who should be hoping and praying that such retribution does not visit upon them or one of their own. The law that delivered the Afghans into the hands of the Americans and the British will someday deliver them both into a mightier hand.

-Rajan

I don’t know if the United Kingdom went into Afghanistan just to please the United States. I don’t think that it’s accurate or realistic to say that the United Kingdom was fawning and trying to curry favour with the larger more powerful superpower.

However, the decision that Britain was to be involved was taken without any real thought as to how many troops we could afford to send or what equipment they would need. We sent a large proportion of our soldiers and their equipment, including the vehicles, was definitely not adequate for the battlefield conditions.

It has turned out that the attempt by the United States and its allies to support a truly democratic government in Afghanistan has failed. Thousands upon thousands of people have died for nothing and the country has gone backwards towards the Middle Ages. In addition, our government in the UK has consistently failed abjectly to support and protect the people and their families who interpreted for our mission, military and civilian. Having promised them sanctuary and freedom, they are being left to their own devices and even told that if they make their own way to the United Kingdom then they will be deported back to their home country.

We need the current government to do the right thing, to ensure we don’t carry on with the previous government’s cruel agenda. Refugees are just like us in every sense. Refugees who we have already promised asylum must be brought here to be protected immediately.

-John Woore

I couldn't see any useful outcomes for the UK in supporting the US invasion of Afghanistan for dubious political reasons. Both the US and UK exposed their miserably poor understanding of a foreign culture by expecting to be received with unmitigated joy.

But many US businesses (and some UK arms companies) made a lot of money from the invasion; politics being driven by big US businesses for profit is what it was really about.

The evacuation of forces and the aftermath of abandoning those Afghans who assisted the UK in particular was absolutely shameful!!

-Frank Hallet

I can't remember why British troops went into Afghanistan but I remember acutely the way we left Afghanistan. I felt so bad about us running out and abandoning people who had helped us there. These dear people trusted us and expected us to do our best for them. We should even now do our utmost to help them. We should not insist on them having 'official' documentation in order to qualify for our help either. This is a disgusting attitude whereby we try to abbreviate our responsibilities.

-Heather Medland

Read the original article here.

Re: What happens in the US could have global implications for abortion

If Project 2025 really wants to protect life, it should start by halting arms sales to Israel. –Rod Dalitz

Avoiding a possible collapse of another civilisation is in the hands of the people, I believe. If more people could stop focusing on themselves, their family and friends, they might consider all life on this planet as a whole unit, where each part of that unit depends on all the others. Things could improve.

At present, we are being manipulated by a few greedy people. They have established themselves in places of influence and are using that influence to reap rewards for themselves at the expense of everybody else. They hoodwink the public into thinking that they are doing good for the people. At the same time, they are putting their energies into supporting wars and other anti-social and anti-environmental happenings. There is no area that they will not be involved in if they think it will serve their purpose.

-Jo

Read the original article here.