Afghanistan

We have now lost over 300 servicemen in this war which history has always indicated is an unwinnable war. We cannot impose western will on a tribal society. They do not want us and we will be there for another decade and they will still oppose us because life in this Muslim society is cheap and we hold the death of every soldier very dear.

Now President Barack Obama has sacked his army commander for political reasons. This soldier had the temerity to criticise his political masters. He was the architect of the current strategy against the Taliban but hell if he upsets the politicians then what the hell...he has to go! Can you imagine the propaganda coup that this decision has been greeted with by those who are picking our boys off one by one.

I have never bought into this argument that if we desert Afghanistan it threatens our borders. We are an island for heaven's sake. We have a natural defence. If our politicians had the nouse, the will and the determination to secure our borders then any threat from a Muslim society would be negated.

The figures for our losses always fail to include the seriously wounded, the mentally affected and those who will never recover from this desperate war. The youngsters today do not have the social background that our soldiers in previous decades could fall back on. They have been magnificent but enough is enough. It is really time to that the politicians got their acts together and found an exit strategy.

The problem is similar to that faced in Vietnam. When we retreat we will look very weak indeed. If we do not exit in order; then eventually we will be driven out. I do not want to see our service people subjected to a whipping that they do not deserve. Our boys have behaved impeccably. I was a professional soldier and with the exception of Northern Ireland my generation never had to face what these guys have had to face.

I suspect that the Americans are being flakey. Our European 'partners' have never wanted this war and do not provide any kind of adequate support. We must really reappraise our role in this war. Three hundred dead has become too many.