Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(April 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Who's doing the grunt work in Afghanistan. ???
A decision was recently made to pull 400 American troops
out of the "Operation Anaconda" battle against
al-Qaeda rebels near Gardez, when a major split apparently
occurred amongst Afghan forces involved in the fighting.
There apparently was some friction between Pashtun and ethnic
Tajik reinforcements sent from Kabul.
 Throughout
history Afghan commanders have preferred to negotiate a
surrender in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, rather
than engage in bloody battles resulting in the deaths of
many members of both sides.
Seems a civilized approach to me.
Apparently several Afghan commanders in the Operation Anaconda
battle expressed a preference, (reported to be against American
wishes), to allow several hundred al-Qaeda fighters a last
chance to negotiate a surrender before the Afghan troops
began a dangerous advance across a land mine littered landscape
leading up to bunkers and cave entrances.
Seems to me to be a reasonable humane decision, especially
if it would save the lives of the Afghan troops engaged
in the battle.
Follow up to a previous friendly fire incident.
At a recent briefing by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld,
it was finally revealed and acknowledged by the Pentagon
that at least fourteen Afghan civilians, (including several
women and children), were killed in an air strike called
in to bomb a convoy of what the American intelligence had
determined to be al-Qaeda troops.
Wonder what kind of public reaction would have becoming
if the troops killed by friendly fire had been American.
!!!
All the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men.
Couldn't put Afghanistan back together again!!!
I see reports that Britain is to deploy a full Infantry
Battle Group of 1700 troops including a contingent of Royal
Marine Commandos to Afghanistan to take part in offensive
operations against the al-Qaeda terrorist forces.
 I
certainly hope that Mr. Geoffrey Hoon and his parliamentary
supporters know the possible consequences of this action.
Mr. Blair obviously supports the decision made by the Defense
Secretary.
How does the general public feel about the decision to
send more British troops to Afghanistan???
One would assume that a good deal of opposition from several
sources within the UK would be forth coming.
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