WAR

Afghan warier attacking the retreating Indians and British.

We constantly read about the 'war' in Afghanistan as if there has been some declaration made between two combatants. But this is far from the case. There is no territorial gain or political advantage: so where does this idea of war come from?

Ideologically, the fighting is between a number of states 'occupying' Afghanistan on the pretext that the country provides a platform for the training of terrorists who want to bring havoc to decadent western countries with their established infrastructures. We are told, the fighters in Afghanistan are against all that the west stands for and want us to revert back to medieval times when women were chattels and it was alright for a thief to have their hands chopped off, according to their Sharia law.

This is really not true. The west will not prevail in Afghanistan for a number of reasons, chief among them being the fact that western soldiers are mercenaries. They have a paid job to do and have not really been given any reason why they are fighting. There's a lot of confusion on the battlefields, wherever they are. Opium poppies are still the most extant cash crop; women are discouraged from developing educationally; rape has recently been legalised for men whose wives refuse them sex; and Hamid Karzai has become the president in a phony election riddled with corruption. Lastly, the weapons and soldiers of the mujahadin come across the border with Pakistan and are not indigenous to Afghanistan.

On the other hand, al quaeda, as they are dubbed, is really a conglomoration of tribals who are inspired by the likes of Ayman al-Zawahiri who was recently quoted as saying, "God willing, we will take revenge on you for every mujahid, every widow, every orphan, and every Muslim, and we will defend everyone you oppressed in the world" Pretty strong language.

How is it possible to defeat an enemy who has no geographical base in the world, who believes in divine leadership and who is willing to die as martyrs for their cause?

As 'Comical' Ali said at the denoument of the invasion of Iraq, "This country will be the graveyard for the Americans." He wasn't far wrong. The recent deaths of eight American soldiers in Afghanistan yesterday is only the beginning of a 'war' that will not be won by American or the British, no matter how many troops are sent into the country.