Live From The Afghanistan Frontlines

[Wells]

Hey All

Most of you know, I am a Officer in the Canadian Forces, under the 8th Canadian Hussars.

One of my military buddies are currently serving in Afghanistan and has a letter, he would like to share to the PR Community, as he is a fan of BF2 and the mod.

Hey Catlin

Today was a ruff day. Our convoy came under attack by Insurgents using RPGs and light arms fire. Christmas is comming up soon, and the Troops here at Base are really welcoming the letters from their familes and the gifts. My tour has been good so far, we've seen some scenes that would make anyone cry, like hungry children. Just the other day, we were travelling through Kandahar and saw a young Afghanistan woman crying as her son was hungry and she couldn't do anything about it. It sadden me deeply. My tour ends soon, and I rotate out, but I will never forget Afghanistan.

Hope you are well,
Captain Larry Commo

[dunkellic]

unlike iraq, i think afghanistan is one of the battles that is really worth fighting for and it just pisses me off, that all the european states, that "value" democracy sooo much and praise how good it is, care jackshit about other places and as soon as something bad happens (oh my god, people do die in war?!) everyone is talking about retreating and that it is not our buisness to help those people (everyone = the politicians and the population).

wish your mate down there good luck, a nice christmas, a happy new year and that he can return unharmed and in good health

[Jedimushroom]

Can't really blame people for not going to war, no one got pissed off about america's policy of isolationism in the 30s.

[WNxKenwayy]

Originally Posted by Jedimushroom

Can't really blame people for not going to war, no one got pissed off about america's policy of isolationism in the 30s.

Except for Jews, Ethiopia, Poland, Czechloslovokia, Austria, Finland, France, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Britain, Greece, Pretty much all of North Africa, China, the Pacific Islands.

Other than those guys, you're more or less right.

[[R-MOD]Wasteland]

Don't forget the Russians, who after the Chinese suffered the most casualties in WWII. And Hitler killed more Slavs in his genocide than he did Jews, amazingly.

But that's really besides the point. Canada's thinking about pulling out of Afghanistan when their commitment expires (I think next year). The USA wants them to stay because it doesn't look like the European replacements are up to the task. So many Canadians want to pull out as scheduled. I don't think that freedom loving countries need to start intervening in every non-democracy, or every "democracy" that's really just a facade. Have you guys never traveled outside North America and Western Europe? You're going to have to invade every country in the world almost.

But NATO countries are part of a collective security agreement, and they realize incredible security benefits from this. Because of NATO, no NATO country will ever be attacked except when the aggressor thinks they can successfully take on some major, major players. Especially the USA. Now the USA does get attacked. By a terrorist group integrated with the Taliban government of Afghanistan. So NATO strikes back. Now the job's not done and everybody's saying "it's no my problem"? Well feel free to withdraw from NATO after this job's done. But this is nothing compared to fighting a real war, with enemies who can actually make major moves and overrun your bases.

[dunkellic]

Originally Posted by Jedimushroom

Can't really blame people for not going to war, no one got pissed off about america's policy of isolationism in the 30s.

no, but i can blame them for being hypocrits

[dunkellic]

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Wasteland

But that's really besides the point. Canada's thinking about pulling out of Afghanistan when their commitment expires (I think next year). The USA wants them to stay because it doesn't look like the European replacements are up to the task. So many Canadians want to pull out as scheduled. I don't think that freedom loving countries need to start intervening in every non-democracy, or every "democracy" that's really just a facade. Have you guys never traveled outside North America and Western Europe? You're going to have to invade every country in the world almost.

i totally agree with you - my comment aimed more towards the fact, that now that we are in this "mess" and at the first sign of resistance want to pull out - even if the consequences are far worse than staying in there. if nato pulls out of a-stan now, the people there that felt like they could trust "us", are soon going to wake up with a bloody nose, or they wont wake up at all. (and unlike iraq, there has been a real reason to attack afghanistan)

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Wasteland

But NATO countries are part of a collective security agreement, and they realize incredible security benefits from this. Because of NATO, no NATO country will ever be attacked except when the aggressor thinks they can successfully take on some major, major players. Especially the USA. Now the USA does get attacked. By a terrorist group integrated with the Taliban government of Afghanistan. So NATO strikes back. Now the job's not done and everybody's saying "it's no my problem"? Well feel free to withdraw from NATO after this job's done. But this is nothing compared to fighting a real war, with enemies who can actually make major moves and overrun your bases.

funny thing, afghanistan didnt even start out as a nato operation.
the usa called the "casus foederis" but the attack on afghanistan wasn´t part of that - bush waged that war (even back then) with the "coalition of the willing".
right now, nato degrades more and more to tiger without tooth - nobody is willing to spend more than the absolute minimum possible, effectively underminding nato efforts


edit: damhn, sorry for the double post

[[R-MOD]dunehunter]

Weird how no one complained about the "coalition of the willing" during the war in Kosovo.

Anyway, I feel kinda bad for the Dutch. They do their job, end up doing a lot of fighting, and does anyone feel like helping? Nope. Because actually being in combat, with the risk of losing troops, is soooo bad for PR. So they just let the Dutch troops do the dying.

[dunkellic]

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]dunehunter

Weird how no one complained about the "coalition of the willing" during the war in Kosovo.

kosovo was a nato-operation

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]dunehunter

Anyway, I feel kinda bad for the Dutch. They do their job, end up doing a lot of fighting, and does anyone feel like helping? Nope. Because actually being in combat, with the risk of losing troops, is soooo bad for PR. So they just let the Dutch troops do the dying.

ya, well what do you expect? that we get our hands dirty? *irony*

[nicoliani]

Tell him PR community said to take care and return home safe.