Afghan War Back-up

[Dinger2]

Can anyone enlighten me what if anything our senior Euro-M.Ps are doing in Brussels to persuade our European "allies",especially France,Germany and Italy to send equal amounts of troops and equipment to support their British partners/fellow Europeans in the conflict in Afghanistan???

[Gromit]

There is not a European army. The British are in Afghanistan under a NATO mandate. If you remember, Bush said 'you are either with us or against us' when he was trying to recruit for the Afghan crusade. Only Britain took the bait and joined in the invasion.

Eight years later, and it is going pear shaped, why should France, Germany, Italy, Spain, who had the good sense not to join the invasion in the first place (and advised against it), why should they send their young men to be killed?

[anotheoldgit]

why should they send their young men to be killed?

You have already asked this, and I have already replied.

Because they are members of NATO

They cannot expect to enjoy the benefits of being a member state of NATO, if they are not prepared to accept the downside.

'If they can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen'.

[coccinelle]

Gromit this shows there are 37 countries in Afghanistan not just Brits and Americans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Sec urity_Assistance_Force

[1ARMEDBANDIT]

Yes, the Spanish, Italian, German and France`s decision not to get involved hasn`t seemed to hurt them or be detrimental to them in any way, I have read some reports that Barak Obama wants to strenghten ties with these countries, the link below also shows Obamas speech omitted any thanks to Britain and he stated he did not want America to fight the battle in Afghanistan alone! so in a sort of way he`s ignoring our effort and still trying to appease the countries that went against the USA.

As I have said in other links, we should start looking after our own interests and lean to be selfish for a change.

[1ARMEDBANDIT]

Oops,
I forgot the link, here it is.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-04/04/ content_7648448.htm

[coccinelle]

So Britain isn't in Europe?
Obama wants more troops from EUROPE going into Afghanistan and not just from the US

As I posted before there are 37 countries in Afghanistan mostly from European countries.
France are sending more and more every week for one!

[anotheoldgit]

there are 37 countries in Afghanistan mostly from European countries.
France are sending more and more every week for one!

That is quite correct, the problem is that they are not being deployed into the most dangerous areas.

It is mainly the Americans, Canadians, Dutch and the British that are taking the brunt.

Either move more of the other country's forces into the danger zones to support the number of troops already there, or more useful have a complete turn around ie. troops already in the danger zones to be replaced by the troops in the much safer zones.

[jake-the-peg]

Seems to me that if Dinger and AOG want all the European countries to play an equal part in this it could be best addressed by having a European army.

[anotheoldgit]

No not so jake, only members of NATO.

Mind you with Europe's track record perhaps an European army would not be a bad idea.

[coccinelle]

British troops are in the north and US troops in the south. The British have more calsualties as the north is wild territory.
The French are there trying to train Afghans build up their own army so one day they'll fight the taliban.
They all have their mission.