British ministers on Afghan visit want troops out

[EmilyKent]

British ministers on Afghan visit want troops out
Lynne O’Donnell, Agence-France Presse
Published: Saturday, May 22, 2010



KABUL -- Senior British cabinet ministers, led by new Foreign Secretary William Hague, arrived in Afghanistan Saturday with a warning that Britain wants to withdraw its troops as soon as possible.

-snip-


"National security is the focus now. We are not a global policeman. We are not in Afghanistan for the sake of the education policy in a broken 13th-century country. We are there so the people of Britain and our global interests are not threatened," Mr. Fox said.

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=3061517#ixzz0oft6TdsI

[non sociopath skin]

1. So ...?

The Skin

[EmilyKent]

2. You're not much of a conversationalist.

I thought everyone would be pleased. I certainly am.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. I'm not sure how much it means

Notice that the later quotes seem to back away from anything in particular changing:

(Fox) added: "Of course, what I was pointing out, and I welcome the opportunity to amplify it, is that the primary reason for sending our armed forces to Afghanistan was one of national security.

"But clearly if we are to make the long term gains that will provide the stability to maintain the momentum when our armed forces eventually hand over to the forces of the Afghans, we will require a long period of development in concert with the international authorities, the NGOs and our and other countries' aid programmes."
..
(Hague) told reporters: "Our commitment to success in Afghanistan is one of the things that will help to bring about success.

"And therefore setting end dates for any part of our activity doesn't help actually bring it to a successful conclusion."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8698452.stm

[EmilyKent]

4. Well that's true about everything at the moment,

unfortunately. There's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on everything in this 'coalition'.

But when they talk this way about Afghanistan, they've handed in their notice no matter how much they try to make it look good.

Canadians are leaving too, so are the Dutch I believe. They also do a lot of talking about 'helping with reconstruction', but it's clearly a retreat-in-disguise.

The end is in sight at long last.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

In an attempt to be all things to all men, the Conservatives in government are trying to present themselves as being against the Neo-con wars - which, of course, in opposition they patently weren't.

Devious politicking and nothing more.

The Skin

[non sociopath skin]

6. On the contrary, I'm a master of sparkling debate and repartee ..

... but I'm still not quite sure what you're up to here and I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you ... :evilgrin:

The Skin

[EmilyKent]

7. I'm not 'up to ' anything.

I'm simply posting news from home.

Is everyone new here suspected of being someone else?

I was unaware this was a closed club.