Posted on 10/02/2006 2:28:44 PM PDT by jmc1969
BRITISH troops battling the Taliban are to withdraw from one of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan after agreeing a secret deal with the local people. Over the past two months British soldiers have come under sustained attack defending a remote mud-walled government outpost in the town of Musa Qala in southern Afghanistan. Eight have been killed there.
It has now been agreed the troops will quietly pull out of Musa Qala in return for the Taliban doing the same. The compound is one of four district government offices in the Helmand province that are being guarded by British troops.
Although soldiers on the ground may welcome the agreement, it is likely to raise new questions about troop deployment. Last month Sir Richard Dannatt, the new head of the British Army, warned that soldiers in Afghanistan were fighting at the limit of their capacity and could only “just” cope with the demands.
When British troops were first sent to Afghanistan it was hoped they would help kick-start the country’s reconstruction. But under pressure from President Hamid Karzai they were forced to defend Afghan government “district centres” at Musa Qala, Sangin, Nowzad and Kajaki.
The move — opposed by Lieutenant-General David Richards, the Nato commander in Afghanistan — turned the four remote British bases into what Richards called “magnets” for the Taliban. All 16 of the British soldiers killed in action in southern Afghanistan have died at Musa Qala, Sangin or Nowzad.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
There was a story about a month ago that the Brits had expended their ammo allowance for the year.
Whassat?
British troops in secret truce with the Taliban.
I believe that there is a saying. Those who ignore the mistakes made in history, are doomed to repeat them. It was in 1844, when the government established by the British in Afghanistan, came under siege. This by sporadic cowardly attacks.
The British paid Afghan chieftans gold, to allow "The Army of the Indus" safe passage across the mountain passes. 7,000 troops and about 12,000 civilians departed toward India. History records the treachery of a terrible massacre.
Legend is that only a Dr Brydon survived. The huge bonfires lit at Jalalabad, to guide the survivors, guided only Brydon.
Lord Roberts made the Afghans pay a terrible price many years later. Too late.
I pray for some way to win this time.
I did some hasty back checking. The disaster was actually 1842. I accessed Dr Brydon, via Google.Up came >The Indian Express. I am indebted to them for this information. It is to the effect that Ayman Al Zawahri, second in command of the Al Quaeda,has issued a statement to the British people.
Dr Brydon will not return to India.
It was from Kabul to Kandahar that one of the greatest counter marches in British military history took place. The Army, under Lord Roberts had left a 1000 men to garrison Kandahar. The Afghans appeared suddenly, thousands of the blighters. The Army marched back and saved 75% of the garrison.
I believe in 1883 this took place.
There has to be some way of beating them. It was done before.
Hudna is exactly right. Its the same deal the idiot Paki's made with the savages in Waziristan. Once they re-arm and regroup they'll be right back at it. Its the only thing they know, like or do.
it is already here...historically the British are tremendous appeasrers. During ww2 they never wanted to take on Germany directly but to attack on the edges
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