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Britain in Afghanistan

The Battle for Helmand Province

by Nicholas Newman 21 September 2007

British Forces and their European Allies in Southern Afghanistan’s, Helmand Province, are part of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). As of September 2007, the number of UK troops has risen to 7,700 troops. The security situation in Helmand is fragile and military forces have suffered casualties when fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists and their allies. Troops have experienced the most intense fighting since the Korean War. The ISAF mission is often described as a police action to establish security and deny the Taliban and Al Qaeda the environment in which to operate.

Britain in Afghanistan

Critics of the ISAF operations including, the European left and Greens would argue that this represents a traditional colonial land grab for territory. Though, this is more likely to be behind the motives of certain Pakistani groups, who have long held the desire to take over, Afghanistan. After all the Taliban was created by Pakistan’s then Interior Minister, Naseerullah Baber, in 1993, in order to provide Pakistan with a strategic hinterland for its military forces to hide from a possible Indian invasion of Pakistan. This perhaps, explains the half hearted attempts by the Pakistani military to control Pakistan’s North West Frontier provinces that lies along the Afghan border. Afghan President Karzai accused these Pakistani groups, in 2006, of trying to turn his people into ‘slaves’ by equipping the Taliban.

It is also doubtful in the short term, if ISAF is present in Afghanistan to tackle the insidious trade in narcotics. Afghanistan produces some 90% of the opium grown in the world. For a start, ISAF forces have a difficult enough situation fighting the terrorists. Seriously tackling the opium poppy farming problem, would make enemies of the local drug lords with their well armed private armies, and about 3 million people, 12% of Afghanistan’s population, work in the country’s narcotics industry. For a farmer it is some 10 times more profitable to grow opium than wheat. A solution will have to be found, but tackling this problem will have to wait for the present. Though it is perhaps ironic, that when the Taliban, were in control they tried to do everything in their power to stop production. Now, it’s the other way round, they are behaving like the worst of local drug lords, forcing the farming communities to grow as much of the opium as possible, because of the profits it generates.

Contrary to the claims made by Al Qaeda and other extremist so-called Moslem groups. ISAF is not there in Afghanistan to destroy moderate Islam. Extremists like Al Qaeda are doing that. Until 9/11 the West was largely indifferent to any potential Islamic threat, however insignificant.

What then is the primary role of ISAF and its British contingent? British military forces are there to provide the security that will enable Afghanistan to transform itself, after thirty years of conflict, into a stable, prosperous and democratic state, which can determine its own future without the undue influence of its neighbours.

ISAF is also there to provide stability for the Caspian Sea Region, lying north of Afghanistan, which contains the world’s largest untapped oil and gas resources. As much as 100 billion barrels of crude oil and 40 per cent of the world’s global gas reserves can be found in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Peace in Afghanistan would also mean an alternative route for the Caspian Region’s oil and gas exports to the rest of the world, through a projected pipe line network linking Pakistani ports via Afghanistan to the Caspian region. If such pipelines are built, Europe’s energy security would be improved, argues German expert on the region Lutz C. Kleveman. The West has been for too long dependent on unstable OPEC states, where radical Islamist groups have threatened to cut off supplies to non-Moslem countries, causing enormous economic damage to the West.

It might explain why extremist groups in Saudi Arabia seem to be heavily involved in terrorists groups in other world oil and gas production regions?

Defending Europe

Although these reasons are important, the main reason why ISAF is in Afghanistan is for the defence of Europe. This police action in Afghanistan is just one of the political tools Europe is using to defend itself. Arguments demanding NATO forces should withdraw as put forward by Germany’s Left Leader Gregor Gysi, are as Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said recently ‘putting at risk everything that we have built up in the last six years.’

Adopting an isolationist fortress Europe policy, ‘cannot work,’ says former British General Jackson. The battle that we are having with Al-Qaeda is not like previous wars, primarily over possession of territory. Today, we are fighting to defend our values, democracy, the rule of law and our ancient civilization from Islamic extremist Imperialism.

Recent arrests in Austria, Germany and Denmark of Al-Qaeda’s agents, confirm that we cannot simply defend Europe by hiding behind our frontiers. The enemy is within our gates and this poses, a challenge for this generation, which is as great as any that have gone before us.

For Europe, it is success today; however you define success that is vital, if we fail, then tomorrow will be a very uncertain place.

The Future

The ISAF/NATO forces are in for the long haul in the campaign to defend Europe against the threat posed by Islamic extremist’s imperialists. Success will come from winning the battle of ideas at home in immigrant communities and abroad in the Middle East. Though part of the problem is how Europe can turn round many of the failed states economies from which so many of the extremist’s have come. As Europe’s leaders have learnt before, tackling poverty is the most effective strategy in removing support for extremists. Though the essential component of ISAF policy is usually described as an ‘hearts and minds’ campaign rather than an occupation of territory it is now generally accepted that this policy is only likely to be successful if it is accompanied by an overall increase in economic and financial prosperity and increase in living standards. NATO’s military intervention in Afghanistan provides the breathing space to reform both Afghanistan and other failed states. No doubt, there will have to be further police actions elsewhere in the world, in order to defend Europe from future threats.