The Daily Clarity

New head of British Army wants a surge in Afghanistan

The British Commander in Afghanistan thinks military victory is highly unlikely and that view is supported by the British Ambassador there according to documents leaked to the French press. It seems that the new head of the British Army  isn’t likely to agree. Gen. David Richards will be taking over the reins on the British Army’s top job in August next year. He is on the public record as saying that a surge of troops is required in Afghanistan to effect military gains. He is advocating an additional 30,000 troops be sent there and is willing to commit 5,000 extra of his own men to get the job done. It is assumed the balance would need to come from US and NATO partners. The retiring General that Richards will replace had annoyed the authorities by some of the comments he had made about the realities of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Voicing discord against the policy of the encumbent government is apparently not a good career move.

The British seem to be doing some odd and overtly political things with their military at the moment. The Iraqi government says go – the British government wants to stay. A General gives a pragmatic view of the war in Afghanistan supported by many and he gets an early retirement call. Foreign policy (and by that we mean policy towards the US not the world) seems to be the driver behind these recent acts. It is a shame when the independence of wartime decisions by experienced military commanders is second guessed and over ruled by political agendas. That is a failure of care by the military high command and a misuse of power by the government.