A lost war

THE 64 percent of the British population that holds, according to a recent BBC survey, that the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable seems to be wiser than the leaders, who despite eight years’ of deadly and fruitless fighting, balk at the idea of the withdrawal of troops from the country. As the Afghan resistance becomes more fierce and a higher number of British casualties are reported, the percentage of those who are losing heart keep rising; only last July 58 percent of the people thought that the war could not be won. Top British commanders, including army chief Sir David Richards, have also learned, to their dismay, that the way the ‘war on terror’ is being fought is clearly set to turn out to be a losing battle.
Currently, the military and political circles of the UK are debating the idea that they should concentrate their energies on “main population centres” and pull out the troops from the outlying areas. Viewing this thinking in the light of the opinion of 49 percent of respondents in the same survey, who are opposed to the stationing of troops in southern Afghanistan, would suggest that a sizeable number of the British people feel greatly worried at the rising death toll. It is noteworthy that 232 British servicemen have lost their lives so far, out of which 95 were killed only this year, the highest number in a year since the war began in 2001.
Although public opinion the world over, not only in countries engaged in fighting in Afghanistan, has become frustrated at this virtually endless war, the British have an extremely bitter taste of what war with the Afghan people means. The so-called Taliban (read Pushtuns) whom the allied forces are fighting are not alone in seeing the end of foreign occupation; the country’s other communities, equally known for their valour and dogged resistance, are one with them. One would very much wish President Obama worked on an honourable exit strategy rather than considering the option of inducting more troops.