A job worth finishing
Francis Sedgemore, Sunday 8 November 2009
A largely unread UK broadsheet newspaper has called for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. That doesn’t bother me particularly. Going by current talk in medialand, even if the government was to do a complete volte-face and abandon the war against the Taliban, British soldiers will still be in Helmand after the Independent prints its final edition.
More worrying is the hardening of public opinion against the war in Afghanistan, which Jock Stirrup, head of the British armed forces, has acknowledged. However, in order to win the people around, we will need to do much more than explain the evident successes of the NATO operation. For far too long the British government has been justifying our continued presence in Afghanistan as a matter of UK interest; i.e., its only aim is to secure the security of British citizens at home.
That is of course only part of the story, and to focus exclusively on British security interests is an abdication of moral responsibility. If you encourage people to consider only parochial interests, is it any wonder that they come out with naive statements along the lines of: “It’s not our fight. Let the Afghans sort it out among themselves.”?
I’m glad that British military and civilian forces are in Afghanistan, fighting the Taliban – a barbaric enemy of humankind – and helping the Afghan people build their country. I’m proud of our men and women, in uniform or otherwise, and trust their judgement on whether the struggle is worth it.
As for the fallen, we will remember them.
Feed the writer! 
Monday 9 November 2009 at 00:36 GMT
Well said!
Monday 9 November 2009 at 01:20 GMT
Clywch clywch!
There’s a nasty mourir pour Danzig? taste to this isolationist rhetoric. No wonder Chomsky’s the darling of The Indy classes.
Monday 9 November 2009 at 09:16 GMT
[...] May Tiernan and his fellow soldiers continue to succeed in their mission, and return home safely following a job well done. [...]
Monday 9 November 2009 at 09:20 GMT
John Humphrys is humbled, when presented by Captain Andrew Tiernan with the reality of the situation in Helmand.
Monday 9 November 2009 at 16:59 GMT
“If you encourage people to consider only parochial interests, is it any wonder that they come out with naive statements along the lines of: It’s not our fight. Let the Afghans sort it out among themselves.’?”
Indeed. We’re facing similar distortions here in Canada, compounded by the growing chatter in American circles along the same lines. South of the 49th the entire conversation is about “America’s war in Afghanistan.” Increasingly, Canadians are wondering why we should be fighting America’s wars – a good question. This isn’t America’s war, but to the extent we allow it to develop in that way, the harder it will be for us non-Americans to make the case for engagement, and the case that the people who matter here are the Afghan people.
Tuesday 10 November 2009 at 00:37 GMT
Despite the influence of the idiot left in Canada, that country has until now come across as solid when it comes to humanitarian military interventionism. It’s therefore depressing to read Terry’s report on changes in public opinion north of the 49th parallel.
I referred above to a “hardening” of public opinion against the NATO military involvement in Afghanistan, but perhaps “hardening” isn’t the right word for it.
With Iraq we had much righteous indignation about being sold a false prospectus by a bunch of mendacious and incompetent politicians, while those of us on the left who supported the overthrow of the Ba’athist regime kept our mouths shut on this point, and were happy that something was at last being done.
In Afghanistan there is in contrast a lack of public concern. It’s not as if the folks over here, comfy as they are in their bourgeois domesticity, aren’t aware of the reality of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. They know full well that women are treated by these new dark ages religious fundamentalists like cattle, girls forbidden from going to school, and all the rest. No, increasing numbers of people here simply don’t care enough to want to do anything about it.
What can we do about this?
I ask myself all the time what I can do, and am lost for ideas. At the time of the overthrow of the Taliban I applied to join the army, but was told that I was too old. And I’m too politically unreliable for intelligence work.
Captain Andrew Tiernan will no doubt enjoy the short time he has at home with his family, but you can tell that he’s itching to get back to Helmand. I can understand that, and in some ways I envy him.
Tuesday 10 November 2009 at 16:22 GMT
While the polls have indicated erosion of support for the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, I don’t think this has much to do with the terrorist sympathizers on the far left. I’ve decided to ignore the fringe, and address the concerns of my more moderate and sensible friends.
The Government and the Liberal Opposition have a tacit agreement to keep the issue on the back burner, putting off public debate and decisions on future Canadian involvement until late next year. Parliament has decreed the end of the combat mission in Kandahar will occur in 2011, but other roles, including combat elsewhere, are still possible.
Everyone is waiting for Obama to announce what the Americans are going to do. I’m hoping he goes with what he promised in his campaign, and what his generals have advised. Like it or not, they have the lead. We should know very soon.
Wednesday 11 November 2009 at 10:44 GMT
I don’t know about Canada, Jim, but over here the idiot left has an influence on the mass of public opinion owing to the high profile of its public demonstrations. But I agree that the influence of the left must be kept in perspective. The biggest problem is indifference among political ‘dunnos’.
Wednesday 11 November 2009 at 17:36 GMT
Three years ago I made a stink about a meeting of the local peace coalition celebrating Syrian fascists. Some eyes were opened but most of the response I received ranged from “Why are you attacking our useful idiots? to “This has nothing to do with my opposition to the Afghan mission.”
Now I find the most successful arguments for staying the course are made, as you say, by the returning veterans, and of course as Terry keeps pointing out, the Afghan people themselves.