Afghanistan

Pretty depressing news from Afghanistan where the casualties seem to be mounting. When we were in England recently there was a lot of hand-wringing and "why-oh-whying" as the 100th British Armed Forces' death in that country was announced. Now I see the figure has risen to 106 and the name of the first female fatality has just been announced.

History tells us that we (the British that is), don't fare particularly well in Afghanistan, and I wonder how long it will be before the cries to bring the troops back home become louder. At the moment there's certainly an element of stiff upper lipism and hearty back-slapping cameraderie but that will all wear a bit thin as the casualties mount. As far as I know, all the casualties so far have been amongst professional soldiers. They're paid to do a job that can involve them in warfare and so death is an occupational hazard; they know that when they sign up, and what they're getting themselves into.

Nonetheless, each life lost is a tragedy for the soldier's family and friends; another name to go down in the annals of British history perhaps but another heavy sacrifice all the same. In time there'll be a medal as a keepsake, perhaps a certificate, a parade through the streets of London and then, a few years from now, appeals by British ex-service charities to help Britain's forgotten soldiers. If we're lucky we'll probably be treated to case histories of soldiers who've lost limbs and eyes and then gently asked to send in twenty pounds or take out a monthly standing order.

There's a horrid inevitability to Afghanistan and, much like Iraq, the longer we're there the more the British public will a) forget why we went in the first place and b) start shouting more loudly for an end to it all.

Indian newspapers barely mention either Iraq or Afghanistan, although the wife of a local politician who allegedly hanged herself in Delhi, has several pages in most newspapers for the third day running. Quite right too, the local population possibly thinks, Afghanistan and Iraq are none of India's business and we had quite enough of Kandahar and Kabul when Lord Roberts and his troops were galloping backwards and forwards in the late 1800s.

I keep an eye on what's happening via the BBC News website and thank goodness for the internet (and particularly the likes of the BBC and CNN) and the wider world it brings us. I must send them an e-mail though. There was nothing on their sites about the hanged MPs wife in Delhi.

Originally published on Blogger on 19th June 2008. The news from Afghanistan does not get any better and as of today, 169 British personnel have now been killed on operations there since 2001. 33 year old Major Sean Birchall (pictured) of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, killed by an explosion on 19th June, is the latest fatality.