Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I think that's almost a certainty. It will also further sour relationships with Afghanistan.

I wonder quite what the point is in staying or for being there in the first place: The original excuse was the "War on terror" well, Bin Laden's killed but was in Pakistan, Al Queda's skidaddled to Yemen, Somalia, and any other failed state that there is that can't be bombed etc into submission, the drug trade which was the next excuse flourishes as never before. Now there are covert negociations with the Taliban to put them back in government.

As far as I can see the 404 lives (so far) of our servicemen/women spent by desk jockeys and politicians in persuit of unclear or achievable objectives has been a complete waste.

If we really wante to protect this country from terrorists then we should be looking to our own steets: The mosques and hate preachers who ferment extremeism and be much more vigilant over who is let into this country, where nationals go abroad, and kicking out the undesirables together with the still present threat from IRA splinter groups.