» Thursday, January 26, 2006

Afghanistan

Asked if there had been a decision on numbers of troops being sent to the area, the PMOS said that a decision had been taken on the operation on Afghanistan, which included numbers.

Asked if there had been any discussion on Iraq, the PMOS replied the discussion was about Afghanistan, and the PMOS said he was not going to pre-empt in any way John Reid’s report to Parliament. What was important was to recognise the overall context of the operation, because it was not just a military one, as it was an operation to reconstruct Afghanistan in terms of its physical, political and civic infrastructure. That was why this had been very carefully co-ordinated between not only the MOD, but also DFID and the FCO.

It was also important to build on what we had done in Afghanistan, and to prevent a slide back towards the Taliban, and all the implications of that. We all understood that. We also had to recognise the importance of Afghanistan in terms of the drugs war here on our streets. The PMOS said that 90% of heroin sold on the streets came from Afghanistan. As John Reid had said, everybody recognised that this was a tough decision, but he would set out his thinking further when he reported to the House.

Asked if the Prime Minister was satisfied by NATO’s support, the PMOS said it was better that John Reid dealt with those kinds of issues in the House.

Asked if the decision was specifically about sending extra troops to the south of Afghanistan, the PMOS replied that there were separate operations in the ARCC operation, and the proposed operation; they were two separate operations.

Briefing took place at 6:00 | Search for related news

4 Comments »

  1. "The PMOS said that 90% of heroin sold on the streets came from Afghanistan"

    So stop it then! That was SUPPOSED to have been partly why we invaded, right? Or was it? Was the real reason not to remove the Taliban, who had effectively stopped drug production? Hmm…!

    And since when were 3500 troops going to change the fate of a lawless country?! Once again there are reasons which have nothing to do with the security of the UK or of Afghanistan – for the very simple reason that a total of 6000 troops couldn’t keep order in an orderly country, far less one which borders on anarchy.

    And for the PMOS to try to disconnect Iraq and Afghanistan is devious in the extreme. Are we then not fighting this "global war on terror"? If we are, they’re connected – especially if you’re the sort who swallows the official bullshit. If they’re not connected then the war on terra is a lie; you can’t have it both ways…

    Comment by PapaLazzzaru — 26 Jan 2006 on 5:47 pm | Link
  2. Unlike the Man From The Daily Mail and his pretty little analyses, you, Papa, are a man of righteous anger and always good to read. But just calm the fuck down. Ain’t no war on terror. Remember Reagan, decades ago, announcing a War on Drugs. What happens? Pisshead coke-snorting morons in the White House, Clinton and then the Chimp. More drugs on the streets, cheaper than ever, more and more and more people using stuff undreamed of by the Great Communicator. Quadrillions of dollars and pounds, tens of thousands of people thrown in jail. Rich junkies go to rehab, poor ones to jail. And still they’re searching folks at airports, dreaming up mad slogans and appointing useless fuckwits as czars of this and that. In the war on drugs the drugs have won. No contest. Its all window dressing and careers and business. Its not a war, that’s all horseshit, too much money involved, too many in journalism, the law, the city, music, politics using the stuff and too many clever fuckers making massive fortunes. And meantime its another excuse to shit all over people’s rights. War on Drugs, my arse.

    Anybody out there mean to tell us that the mightiest miltary force ever known couldn’t have killed one jumped-up camel-eating tinpot dictator without having to invade the whole country. These fuckers can see the stains on your underpants from forty miles up. Give me one percent of the US War on Terror budget and I’ll find Osama, if he exists. Truth is they don’t want to find him or anybody for that matter. Just want to keep us all in a high state of anxiety and themselves in a state of constant, infinite enrichment. Wait and see what kind of a payoff Tony and Sharon get from Haliburton when the time comes. Somebody’ll leak it. There is no war on terror, there is no war on drugs. Its just the same old war, the rich making war on the poor. That’s the battleground. Don’t be suckered into debating a fictitious morality, leave that to the man from The Mail.

    Comment by rev tasty macfadden — 28 Jan 2006 on 1:30 am | Link
  3. Unlike the Man From The Daily Mail and his pretty little analyses, you, Papa, are a man of righteous anger and always good to read. But just calm the fuck down. Ain’t no war on terror. Remember Reagan, decades ago, announcing a War on Drugs. What happens? Pisshead coke-snorting morons in the White House, Clinton and then the Chimp. More drugs on the streets, cheaper than ever, more and more and more people using stuff undreamed of by the Great Communicator. Quadrillions of dollars and pounds, tens of thousands of people thrown in jail. Rich junkies go to rehab, poor ones to jail. And still they’re searching folks at airports, dreaming up mad slogans and appointing useless fuckwits as czars of this and that. In the war on drugs the drugs have won. No contest. Its all window dressing and careers and business. Its not a war, that’s all horseshit, too much money involved, too many in journalism, the law, the city, music, politics using the stuff and too many clever fuckers making massive fortunes. And meantime its another excuse to shit all over people’s rights. War on Drugs, my arse.

    Anybody out there mean to tell us that the mightiest miltary force ever known couldn’t have killed one jumped-up camel-eating tinpot dictator without having to invade the whole country. These fuckers can see the stains on your underpants from forty miles up. Give me one percent of the US War on Terror budget and I’ll find Osama, if he exists. Truth is they don’t want to find him or anybody for that matter. Just want to keep us all in a high state of anxiety and themselves in a state of constant, infinite enrichment. Wait and see what kind of a payoff Tony and Sharon get from Haliburton when the time comes. Somebody’ll leak it. There is no war on terror, there is no war on drugs. Its just the same old war, the rich making war on the poor. That’s the battleground. Don’t be suckered into debating a fictitious morality, leave that to the man from The Mail.

    Comment by rev tasty macfadden — 28 Jan 2006 on 1:31 am | Link
  4. Tasty; yeah, I know this is true. Sadly so many don’t; the sheeple generally do believe that politicians are there to make their lives better. Before I snuff it I’d like to help to open people’s minds a tiny bit – although why I really don’t know. Most of the sheeple are so wilfully stupid they deserve nothing less than to be treated as stupid sheep, for the very simple reason that they have long since delegated responsibility for anything and everything to the people they think are acting in the best interests of the majority. In short, I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to think "fuck ’em!"

    Which is a pity – as I do enjoy having a good whinge from time to time!!! :o)

    Comment by PapaLazzzaru — 29 Jan 2006 on 9:28 pm | Link

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