When will the politicians ever learn?

[venator]

They say if you don't learn from history, you will have to repeat it.
Should these lessons be taught to every western politician?

Most "terrorists" will end up as respected partners - Nelson Mandela's party, The Israelis, Makarios in Cyprus, the IRA leadership, Mau Mau in Kenya etc etc.

Most regimes supported for political purposes will prove an embarrasment - Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi etc etc

Don't go to war in Afghanistan - it's the national sport, and you can't win. Alexander the Great, Gordon of Khartoum, the Russians etc etc

Don't keep soldiers in Saudi. It's a major affront to every Muslim, explicitly forbidden in the Koran.

You can, and certainly will, argue with some of these examples, it's the AB national sport, but do you think it points out the futility of political interference?

[emmie]

we shouldn't be in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, i respect, admire, care about our armed service personel, but frankly our politicians need to go on the frontline and serve before sending our troops out to these places. Then perhaps they wouldn't do it, blame them for the mess we are in now. I don't think we should pander to terrorists, but that is what they have had to do to get some measure of stability in those places you have listed.

[emmie]

Just to add i don't respect those people, but sometime you have to make pacts with the devil, do you really like seeing the likes of Martin McGuinness, and Gerry Adams in power, and know how complicit they were in murdering ordinary citizens, and not just members of the armed forces. I will not watch the news, when either are on.

[venator]

Yes, Em, that's what I'm saying.
The politicians make people into terrorists. They impose their half baked ideas on local populations.
They carved up the Middle East after the war, and sent the Army into Israel - making terrorists. Same in Ireland, Kenya etc.