UK military deaths in Afghanistan

I'm writing this letter because I have just learnt of another 4 UK military deaths in Afghanistan, including the first female, what a sad waste of lives.

Does anyone recall why the British Army is even in Afghanistan? Is it because we are freeing that country from the grips of the Taliban? Both the US & UK Governments were quite happy to provide the Taliban with both arms and funds when Afghanistan was occupied by Russia, even that arch villain bogeyman, Bin Laden, was on the American payroll. So why did this relationship break down, was it because of the terrorist attack on 9/11 on the world trade centre? Hardly both the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were actually planned before that event took place.

Was it because the USA could no longer stand by whilst the country was ruled by "Islamic extremists" and a lack of "democracy"? Not at all, the USA/UK were more than happy to have business relationships with the Taliban, the problems began when the business relationship broke down. The strategic location of Afghanistan can scarcely be overstated. The Caspian Basin contains up to $16 trillion worth of oil and gas resources, and the most direct pipeline route to the richest markets is through Afghanistan.

Almost as soon as the Russians had left, the Bridas Corporation of Argentina acquired production leases and exploration contracts in the region, and by November of 1996 had signed an agreement with the Taliban to build a pipeline across Afghanistan. However the American company Unocal had other ideas, even invited the Taliban to meetings in Washington, Berlin, and Islamabad, in an effort to persuade them to cancel the contract with Bridas in exchange for a tidy package of foreign aid. Unfortunately the negotiations between the Taliban, American Government officials and Unocal broke down. According to an article in the UK Guardian, State Department official Christina Rocca then told the Taliban at their last pipeline negotiation in August of 2001, just five weeks before 9/11, 'Accept our offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you under a carpet of bombs.'

So to conclude the occupation of Afghanistan doesn't have any noble motives, it is based purely on economics, and an US/UK attempt to control the Middle East oil reserves, which also explains the occupation of Iraq and the current threats against Iran over their non-existent nuclear weapons.

Our problem in the UK is that none of this appears likely to change in the short term as was confirmed recently by Brown standing next to George W. Bush, the world's greatest terrorist, like an obedient puppy dog, promising to put at risk even more British lives, in the interests of American hegemony. Our problem is also that the Conservatives do not provide any opposition to what is happening and the Liberal Democrats seem to have lost their voice.
 
Michael Lee

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