Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(January 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Our first, but unfortunately not our last, casualty
in the war against Afghanistan.
What a tremendous tragedy that the first American troops
to be killed in action in Afghanistan came from friendly
fire.
 An
air to surface”JDAM” bomb, (Joint Direct Attack
Munition - a strap-on, Global Positioning System-aided Inertial
Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance kit that will improve
the accuracy of general-purpose bombs in all weather conditions.
JDAM will also allow a single aircraft to attack multiple
targets from a single release point), called in by ground
observers to support front line friendly troops, was deployed
from the bomb bay of a B-52 Bomber and exploded in close
proximity to American Ground Forces.
Three Special Force soldiers and six Northern Alliance
troops were killed.
A number of other American and Alliance troops were severely
wounded in this dreadful occurrence.
One of the newly elected interim leaders of the provisional
government of Afghanistan, Mr. Hamid Karzai was in the area
were the bomb landed and was slightly wounded in this friendly
fire incident.
Mr. Karsai has already been taken to task by the American
political machine for suggesting that the Supreme Spiritual
Leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, and certain
other top Taliban Leaders be given safe passage and amnesty,
as part of the surrender deal in Kandahar.
The Americans are fiercely opposed any deal with Mullah
Mohammed Omar or any other Taliban leader.
Meanwhile the battle for Kandahar still rages - not as
would expect, by the entry of Coalition fighters, but a
struggle for power has ensued by various local warring religious/political
factions anxious to make territorial claims/gains to various
parts of the city.
Observation.
I noticed in a recent report, that a United States Government
spokesperson, when asked why the offers from Coalition Governments
to provide on-the-ground military personnel in Afghanistan,
had been politely rejected by the American Government, he
came up with the usual political double talk and really
did not provide a satisfactory answer.
Later information is that, when the war is won, the British
have been asked to take over the major peacekeeping role
in Afghanistan.
 Knowing
that British participation in India makes them familiar
with the people and the country, (incidentally, my father
participated as a member of the KOYLI in the Khyber Pass
region prior to WW1), and not wishing to appear critical,
please correct me if I’m wrong but don’t you still
have your hands full with the Irish situation.
Oh dear, oh dear, what have you got yourselves into?
Is it that the aims of foreign governments do not match
the American political agenda?
What does America expect to get out of this venture, except
perhaps the revenge satisfaction factor? !!!
Another point Mr. Bush and his advisors appear to be advocating,
(or are they just testing the water for public reaction),
is the threat of expanding their anti-terrorist action in
the direction of other Islamic Middle East and African countries.
This has not gone down particularly well with several members
of the coalition, one in particular being Germany.
In a TV interview Mr. Bush renewed his call on Iraq to
allow International arms inspections to resume.
Playing Devil’s advocate: If I were Saddam Hussein,
my reply would be,
“We will certainly allow the reentry of weapons
inspectors into Iraq if Israel will allow Iraqi inspectors
the same privilege”.
Is all fair in love and war?
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