Afghanistan: For what purpose were british soldiers killed? – Yorkshire Post Letters

FRIENDS that travelled overland to India in the sixties and seventies were always impressed by the wonderful architecture, history, culture, and friendliness of the local inhabitants in Iran and Afghanistan.

Both of these countries could have become colossal tourist attractions and become very wealthy on ‘western’ investment and tourism income. Alas this never happened, and early 19th century Anglo-Afghan history re-invented itself, from which the British have never learnt.

After three pointless British performances, the Soviet Union tried to interfere in Afghan affairs in 1979 and spent nine years fighting a guerrilla war, losing 15,000 Soviet Army personnel with a Mujahadeen victory – but with about two million Afghan civilians killed in the process.

It is pretty obvious that European/Western-style warfare is hopeless in mountainous Afghanistan, but the Americans dragged the British, and others, into another 20-year futility with astronomically high loss of life and money – over 450 British have been killed, but the Afghans have borne the brunt of casualties with over 60,000 security forces killed and twice that many in civilians. Costing the British alone over £22bn, for what exactly?

From: Martin J. Phillips, Tinshill Lane, Leeds.

THE leaders of the countries in the western world should hang their heads in shame after abandoning the people of Afghanistan to the rule of the Taliban.

Many British servicemen have been killed or left disabled through their involvement in the war in Afghanistan – lives wasted all for no reason.

Afghanistan will now return to the dark ages with women in particular denied an education and equal human rights.

A Muslim friend of mine thanks her God every day for having grown up in this country where she, her children and her grandchildren have been able to have the chance of an education, and where they don’t have draconian rules

forced upon them.

From: John Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

THE list of Afghanis seeking asylum grows, as does that of retired generals and others pleading their case.

It is to be hoped that the cost in perpetuity of resettling interpreters and their families will be borne out of the defence budget, and in particular the funding of those units which neglected to have their troops learn the local language.

Afghanistan has multiple languages but one would have sufficed for our main area of operations. The army might have been more successful had it taken this trouble. Former employees of the British are far from being the only people now at risk. They, like many of the others, were ultimately serving Afghanistan, not Britain.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IS it really surprising the speed at which the Taliban has taken back Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US and Allied personnel? After all, Russia also failed to eradicate them. Surely it is time that we leave these countries alone to live the way that they have for many many years? Who is to say that the Western way of life is for all the world?

From: Jarvis Browning, Fadmoor, York.

WAS it all in vain the fighting in Afghanistan for the veterans and those that have been invalid? The same could be asked for the Iraq wars too. Also sadly for those that are suffering from PTSD and loved ones that never returned.

From: DS Boyes, Upper Rodley Lane, Leeds.

NOTHING more pathetic than Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding Parliament’s recall over the crisis in Afghanistan as if the only motive is attempting to score political points.

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