PJC Journal – Original » 2007 » August

Aug

30

Australia 'would follow Dutch withdrawal' from Afghanistan

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

AUSTRALIA would most likely follow should Dutch troops withdraw from southern Afghanistan, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.

Mr Nelson gave the warning to 12 Dutch parliamentarians in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul this week, The Australian newspaper reported.

The Dutch Parliament is considering whether to pull its troops out
of the Oruzgan province following a series of casualties and the
turning tide of public opinion in the Netherlands about the conflict.

Australian engineers and special forces are based alongside the
Dutch troops and have had increased contact with Taliban fighters in
recent weeks.

The Dutch forces provide vital helicopter air cover for the
Australians working to build checkpoints and patrolling around the
Oruzgan town of Tarin Kowt.

Australian commanders fear their forces would not be able to operate without that cover, the paper reported.

“We are not in a position to increase our numbers in Afghanistan and
we won't and we can't take the lead position in Tarin Kowt,” Mr Nelson
said.

“There are Australian soldiers who owe their lives to the Dutch Apache helicopters and they play a critical role.

“The consequences of a Dutch withdrawal, if we can't find another partner, is that we would be far too exposed to continue.”

The Dutch have 2,200 troops at the Camp Holland base at Tarin Kowt and have suffered the deaths of six soldiers.

(source)

Time for parliament to discuss bringing UK troops home.

The beginning of Gordons downfall…

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

Ministers have been taken aback by the 24-hour strike by prison officers.
But they should not have.

The POA national executive took their vote 2 weeks ago, so government was well aware that a strike would take place if they did not talk to them.

This government has been accused by many of being distant, no longer listening, no longer engaging in the discussions with interest groups and the public at large. It has been accused by the TUC of abandoning Labours roots, the working people.

Like all talks, unless they are weighted in the governments favour, this government just ignores them, and in this case goes straight to law. Like talks with nurses and doctors, Firemen or even listening to the voice of the people over the smoking ban, hunting ban, a call for a referendum of the European constitution treaty, not just by the people but by big Unions.

So could today's industrial action by the POA be the beginning of more strikes, even civil disorder over some of the more draconian laws, as government continues to ram through new laws, new quangos, new rules, new layers of government, despite the majority of people disagreeing with them.

It is only the will of the people that gives government its authority to govern, without that authority it will be unable to govern.

This government is now unable to govern. The people are fed up with the nannying, fed up with the immigration, fed up with the lawlessness, fed up with the lying from Westminster, fed up with the corruption, and they want their country back.

They want to be free to eat, drink and smoke what they like. They don't want an unelected numpty from Scotland telling them what to do.

Gordon, you have ignored them, and now The Working Classes, the wealth creators, the taxpayers, want their country back

Simon Heffer describes all that is wrong with socialism today so much better than I can.

and Tony Sharp clearly points out that NuLab have nothing left to offer except negative campaigning.

Taxpayers Alliance gives a much more detailed analysis of how Gordon's economics are unravelling.

NuLab – Destroying Britain from the inside out.

The beginning of Gordons downfall…