General Sir Richard Dannatt, the retiring head of the British army, has done a remarkable thing.
He appears, single handedly, to have seen off the opponents in the political classes to the Afghan war.
That opposition, neatly encapsulated at regular intervals by Simon Jenkins in the Guardian, had every expectation of significant debate in the aftermath of the ending of Britain’s involvement in the more controversial Iraq war.
Instead, General Dannatt has sparked a full scale row about whether there should be still more UK involvement in the Afghan conflict.
The political classes appear to be on the threshold of being shamed into sending still more British troops and still more hardware to a war whose aims have fluctuated throughout the nearly eight years of its conduct.
The voices of opposition to the war have been all but silenced in the mainstream political arena. Instead in the build up to the next election the fight is between, still more, and more.
The Labour government is committing more resources, and the Conservatives are on a course to provide whatever the army asks as David Cameron revealed last night on Channel 4 News.
Is Sir Richard the most successful “political” general of our times? He has certainly been outspoken.
Despite the laying down of the keels for the two new supercarriers (a victory for the Navy and Air Force) it is the army which is in the ascendency.
For the first time in a generation the budget of the Ministry of Defence has become a mainstream issue of political contention… It is a fascinating moment in recession-hit Britain.
Commentsoldest first
Jon
Why don’t any of you journalists write what this war is really about ie control over energy resources, the opium trade, geopolitcis and global domination etc? The ‘war on terrror’ is a smokescreen to fool the masses and you know it.
Justin…….if you read more you would not write such absolute rubbish…
Agree totally – politicins are interetsed in doing waht they are told by their bosses – big business . The war on terror is as John Pilger puts it a War of Terror – mainly on ionnocent people many of whom are murdered by the West [ the good guys ] – the good of the common people never enters the heads of Politicins – except at election time – when some more scare tactics will be employed . It was Goering who said ” The People do not want war but they can be vrought round- put some fear into them”
Goodness me, what a shambles this government is. A quagmire in Afghanistan and, no end to the turmoil. These are very bad times.
Further to the matter of the 8 grounded helicopters. I remember watching (think it was on C4 News) a report about how our military could not use them, either not compatible/US would not give up codes. Presumably the US military would be able to use them. As this is a joint effort why not let the Americans run the helicopters in support of our troops. Surely this is better than waiting a year for them to be ready – when we evidently need them this summer, in this current offensive.
I could not put the situation better than Jon Snow did in the last three pages of his book “Shooting History.” Written before this particular so called war, but the comments apply just the same.
the last 3 pages sums it all up, i like ” the north`s media are providing a deft counterpoint to the terrorist endeavour by keeping our ‘developed’ populations in ignorance of the world beyond ‘Pop Idol’, ‘ER’, and ‘Eastenders’. As our technological capacity to reach and inform grows, so our horizons shrink to the stuff of soaps,sport and scandal”.
Pure brilliance jon, peoples horizons have shrunk to worshipping millionaire celebritys aswell these days or is it the media bombarding us with information about them… the other bit i like is “We appear to be doing all we can to exclude the poor from our lives” ,, jon , never a truer word spoken, or should i say written, pure genius.
General Dannatt has not really eschewed
the debate. He is just as desperate about the worsening war conditions in Afghanistan, as the Vietnam War commander, U.S. General Westmorlad was in the 60’s and 70’s. Westmorlad was asking for more troops, bombers and helicopters, but even with 500.000
troops and trillion tons of weaponry, he couldn’t defeat the VietCong. The U.S. threw in the towel in 1975.
General Dannat is in Westmorland’s shoes right now. He is asking for more boots in the ground and helicopters on the air, because he cannot sound like a coward who is scared by the Taliban.
But inside his military mind, he sweats the Afghan war with trepidation. And Dannatt knows that at some point in time the sweating towel will be saturated and it won’t hold more sweat. And then it
will be the time for U.K. to throw in the towel – like the U.S. did in Vietnam- and return home to nurse a bruised military reputation, and visit the graves of the soldiers who lost their lives in a vain war
to eliminate the Muslim hostility against the West.
The countdown to this eventuality has already begun, and General Dannatt sees it. But his position doesn’t allow him to admit that because it will contradict the official line of the political leadership. Nikos Retsos, retired professor, U.S.A.
more
General Dannatt is doing his job. Politicians got us into Afghanistan after 9/11. In fact, soldiers are rarely in favour of war as they understand it.
Being in it, we have to do it properly and to give the soldiers what they need to succeed militarily. The overall result will depend on far more than boots on the ground, but so long as the Army is picking up the tab for politicians’ ego trips with its soldiers’ blood, Dannatt has to say what is required. If the government doesn’t like it, then they should deliver. The fact is they don’t like the Army when it speaks to them, but they love posturing on the world stage and having the ability to send troops in.
Oddly, “outspoken” usually means right in so many spheres of life today. I am sure the General would rather not have to say these things, but to remain silent in the face of the government’s dismal failure to support and equip the troops, is not an option.
Give him credit for saying it while in office, unlike some recently, and thereby foregoing the usual rewards for shutting up.
The war in Afghanistan is one which cannot be sustained in the long term.
The cost in lives of both the troops and the people in Afghanistan is increasing, and the Government continues to ignore voices of concern.
Although I am encouraged by General Dannatt’s intervention, I feel that the military leaders who are on active service could say and do more to highlight the ever worsening situation.
In my opinion, the Government is only concerned about safeguarding its own interests and those of Tony Blair.
What a travesty that Tony Blair, a man who is responsible for the troops being in Afghanistan, is now potentially on the brink of further promotion by wanting to become the EU’s first president.
I am amazed how anyone can support Tony Blair given his incompetent, selfish and self-indulgent track record.
“..to a war whose aims have fluctuated throughout the nearly eight years of its conduct.”
I disagree; the “aim” has been pretty consistent though not usually mentioned in your (and other media) reports: seeing through the completion of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Afghanistan_Pipeline
http://www.independent-bangladesh.com/200803313829/business/india-to-join-turkmenistan-afghanistan-pakistan-gas-pipeline.html
http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/welcome.html
I was horrified to hear Tony Blair was been considered for the position of President of the EU, why do we continue to reward those who make bad, dangerous and self-indulgent decisions; this tyrant has put the world in danger maybe he will be punished for his wickedness as all tyrant should be.
The point that has been missed is that soldiers in the front line have a feeling that generals have, in the past, played personal political games by NOT representing the deficiencies in equipment and conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan loudly enough to achieve results. Future jobs, pensions etc all played their part. Dannatt is speaking for the soldiers themselves and showing true leadership.
Hi Percy Porcupine,
‘The point that has been missed’…great humour from a porcupine.
Ar you a porcupine or a member of the Porcubine family?
A simple question..
I am writing this comment after comment 13.
I have found it difficult to understand what contributors are trying to express.
A number of the contributions leave me thinking ‘what does this person mean’
Plain language will do, please make it understandable.
Does anyone ‘Out There’ agree?
On this occasion, I disagree with your comment.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for your comment. However, on what basis do you disagree?
I am not surprised with the Retiring *General* Eschews the Real Debate in Regards to Afghanistan situation…..
-Dennis Junior-
Leave a comment
* Required field.