Posted on 03/01/2008 3:26:47 PM PST by knighthawk
It is worth fighting in Afghanistan Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 01/03/2008
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Most of us enjoy the sight of a young man taking pride in wearing the Queen's uniform. We only hope that the fuss made about Prince Harry over the past 48 hours will serve to draw attention to the other men and women carrying the fight to our enemies in the Afghan hills. A good deal of anti-war feeling was generated by the Iraq invasion, and some of it inevitably spilt over into Afghanistan. But, whatever the controversy surrounding Iraq, there is no question that we were and are right to be in Afghanistan.
Never forget that we deployed in response to an unprovoked attack: more British subjects died on September 11 2001 than in any other terrorist attack in our history. When we arrived, we found an advanced terrorist training infrastructure, and a number of British-born Muslims using that infrastructure, evidently in preparation for attacks in this country.
Although our presence is intended principally to ensure our own security, it has the happy secondary consequence of ameliorating the condition of the Afghans. On any measure, life in that hard, beautiful country is better. Schools and clinics are being built, fallow land brought back under cultivation, electricity generated. There are elections at local and national level. There is a free press. Girls are back in school.
Yet those who harboured the terrorists have not gone away. In the trackless hills of Helmand, they seek to seize by force what they could not secure through the ballot. The battle against the Taliban is, in short, a battle for civilisation in its widest sense. It is not one that we should be fighting alone. Yet it often seems that, not for the first time, the defence of freedom has fallen largely to the English-speaking peoples. There are brave contingents from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in the battle zone. But other Western allies are unwilling to deploy in anger, and are hanging back in the already pacified parts of the country. We hope they will assume their responsibility: they, too, have been the targets of jihadi violence. They, too, have a stake in the success of liberal democracy. They should play their full part.
Ping
Prince Harry is singlehandily keeping the Royal Family relevant in the future.
Barak Obama is singlehandily keeping the US political system relevant in the future.
What makes you say that? Just curious.
I didn’t get it either. Perhaps he was just trying for a play on words.
Just maybe more people will get a clue - Kudos to Harry, even if he didn't set out for the publicity, it's a needed shot in the arm - for some, the shot aught to be aimed lower
bttt
Seems like it. Maybe he’ll explain it to us later.
Americans have no idea how much the Obama campaign gives hope to the rest of the world that the US can change.
I agree with most of the comments, except the idea that Afghanistan is beautiful. If mud ever becomes as valuable as oil, Afghanistan will be far richer than Saudi Arabia!
Afghanistan is easy to invade. It isn’t hard to hold, until you realize what you are holding has no value.
Sure, we know. Many of them have been eager to let us know what a bunch of raging dhimmis they are. No reason at all to give a Rat’s Ass. I still don’t see how that fits this subject.
Brits have been proudly fighting Afghan terrorists since 1839. It is a tradition.
Jeez, then we too could become a 3rd world hell hole.
YES. The Brits seem to have given up to their Muslim citizens. The can do zip now. Perhaps the Brits can petition the mayor of London? LMAO. It is really sad in London.
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