Accused on BBC One

[Perky1106]

Did anyone catch this? It's a six part drama on BBC One by Jimmy McGovern about people who are in court and it reveals how they got there through the course of the episode.

The recent one was very controversial. It was about Afghanistan and Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from the Office) was a bullying officer in the army.

Do you think it's really that bad in Afghanistan at the moment or is it just an anti-war media spin?

[Alex W]

I think it's bad over there, but not to the point that officers are bullying recruits! If that happened it'd be brought out into the open very quickly.

It's good to see the Afghan troops fighting with ours, there's an interesting program on Channel 4 soon (hopefully I haven't missed it if it was on tonight) which covers the Afghan peoples' thoughts on the war.

The war will be fought for a long time over there, the Taliban will take centuries of fighting to destroy completely, but it's something that has to be done.

[RamNut]

not sure about that.....

I remember reading an account of the Crimean war - actually Winston Churchills history of the Crimean war.

When the Ottoman empire was collapsing we were apparently concerned to ensure that Russia didnt inherit the territory....so we legged it over there....fought bloody battles and captured the territory....and then thought....oh **** now what......then we came home and relinquished all the territory that we'd just won.....So what was the point of all that?

Thats the trouble with any conflict on foreign soil.

In the end we have to come home.

Still...Answers on a postcard to:

Mr T Blair

Connaught Square

London

[Alph]

Anyone see Dispatches: Bravo's Mission a few weeks back??

Makes you wonder wtf is being acheived over there. The program pretty much draws a conclusion.

The people there don't want Marines "help". To them the Taliban cause them as much trouble as Marines. But at least they "belong there. "The sons of this land" said one guy who had been "liberated".

Marines are fighting because that's there job. They do what they are asked. One Marine said "we fight battles not wars." Another said "it's like there are two levels" (talking about the difference between theory and practical.) One guy was asked about the situation and he was refering to how the locals aren't really open to liberation. When talking about his orders he said something like "IF you actually try to think about it all you'll go mad..... it's a mind f*ck"

And then there's the big idea. Destroy the Taliban and free the people. How can they destroy something that when you corner it, it lays down arms and blend into the local population. Infact some of the Taliban are trained by troops to act as local police or army. As soon as they can get back into the fight or when Americans have left they continue to serve under the Taliban.

And best of all is the ignorance of America and Britain at what we're asking our soldiers to do. Free a people who don't want to be freed (well, not in the way it's happening. To them it's all the same ****, just in a uniform), destroy an enemy who cannot be cornered.

You know there was one instance where troops killed a woman and 3 children by accident. To show their humility they pay the rest of the family $10,000. You can see the soldiers completely uncomfortable with offering a man money after killing his family. Is that how their going to win over the population?

Ignorance doesn't stop there either. Local militia are being recruited to protect the local people. Problem is the recruitment is coming from the North and then being sent South. Their different peoples and speak different languages. Hardly liberation is it?

Not sure what is happening out there. But i think it's a pretty bad situation. There can be no turning back obviously, but to go on is madness too.

A crazy situation. If you ever get chance to see Dispatches: Bravo's Mission you should watch it. Excellent program imo. Shown on Channel 4 a little while back.

[derbydan]

was a really good programme i thought I can understand why the army are annoyed about it though