Ghost of a flea: The falcon cannot hear the falconer

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October 05, 2008

The falcon cannot hear the falconer

There was a time not so long ago when Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith would have been hanged or, worse yet, shunned by society. Now I do not imagine he will be so much as cashiered for his defeatism. Far from it, I expect he can look forward to a warm welcome in SW1, some appearances as a military expert for the BBC and perhaps a sinecure as spokesperson for the winnable War On Second-Hand Smoking.

Britain's most senior military commander in Afghanistan has warned that the war against the Taliban cannot be won. Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith said the British public should not expect a “decisive military victory” but should be prepared for a possible deal with the Taliban.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at October 5, 2008 09:37 AM

Comments

And these are the same Brits that hid in the forts in Basra while all went to shit around them. I believe it was the Iraqis and the U.S. that fixed things there. Maybe we can get some Iraqi help in Afghanistan.

Posted by: harrison at October 5, 2008 09:20 PM

If only there were a Mithrandir to buckle this nincompoop with his staff and rally the guard.
Alas.

Posted by: Occam's Carbuncle at October 6, 2008 12:31 AM

I'm not sure, in context, that he meant quite what the headline-writers would have you believe he meant.

There won't be a purely military solution in Afghanistan - that much is indeed true. But that doesn't mean that the military doesn't have a huge part to play in the eventual solution.

I'm not sure the Brigadier is saying much different.

Posted by: Damian at October 6, 2008 11:26 AM