Over eight years on from the invasion of Afghanistan the death toll amongst British troops is mounting. A terrible price is being paid in the blood of Afghan civilians. The majority of the British public know that the presence of foreign soldiers is no answer to the complex problems of Afghanistan. With over 70% of the public wanting British forces to withdraw, now is the time for the Government to bring the troops home. A failure to do so could result in a British presence lasting for decades, echoing the past failures of UK military policy in Afghanistan.
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said “The war in Afghanistan has no clear aims. It is clearly escalating and spinning out of control and can only have a negative impact on Pakistan and the whole of South Asia. NATO forces have been in Afghanistan for over 8 years and the result appears to be increased drug production, high levels of corruption and terrible losses of life on all sides, both civilian and military. Now is the time to change policy and bring the troops home to prevent NATO involving itself in a Vietnam style quagmire.”
71% of Britons want UK forces home within a year [note 3] whilst 71% of Germans want their country’s troops withdrawn from Afghanistan “as soon as possible” [see note 4]. 82% of French voters are opposed to their government sending more French troops to Afghanistan [note 5], yet all countries are set to contribute to the US-led ‘surge’.
Collaborated: Antonio Carvallo
