Chris Davies, our Liberal Democrat MEP, shares his views on Afghanistan and would like to know what you think. If I have time to think about it properly, I may be getting in touch.

The fraudulent elections held in Afghanistan, and the further death and
maiming of British soldiers serving in the country, have forced me to
think hard about the situation.  I have written to Nick Clegg to give
him my views and I want also to share them with readers of these
occasional LIB DEM NOTES.

I believe that our troops should be pulled off the front line in
Afghanistan. The justifications for their continuing presence seem to
vary with the day of the week and the desperation of the advocate.  I am
not convinced by any of them, and I don’t know how we would even
recognise a ‘victory’ if it were to be claimed.

Our people are part of a NATO contingent involving troops from many
nations (though our numbers are second only to the Americans) that has
the support of the United Nations.  But we are easily portrayed as an
occupying force in a foreign land, fighting for one side in a civil
war as crusading imperialists seeking to impose our cultural and
religious beliefs on others. Radical Muslim men rally to the cause of
our opponents in consequence.

As we seek to avoid casualties we fall back on the use of technology
that allows us to attack and bomb from afar; all too often killing
innocent Afghans.  Support we may briefly have enjoyed from local people
turns to hatred.  None of this helps to make Britain a safer place.

I bow to no-one in my detestation of the Taliban and the perversion of
Islam they use to justify their suppression of women’s rights.  I would
love to see the country transformed into a benevolent liberal democracy,
free from corruption and a champion of liberty.  But the recent
elections demonstrated how removed that vision is from reality.  If we
are fighting for Karzai’s government are we sure it is a cause worth the
effort?  We cannot use the treatment of Afghan women by Afghan men as an
excuse for military intervention any more than we would use it to
justify an attack on a country where genital mutilation is still
performed on female children.

In any case, genuine defeat of the Taliban may prove impossible whatever
resources and lives are thrown against them.  Its various local
commanders can withdraw in the face of overwhelming odds, only to return
when troop numbers have been reduced.  Individual fighters can cut their
beards, bury their weapons, and pose as hard working farmers – which
indeed is what they may be.  The weapons can be dug up again at any time.

We can continue to train Afghan soldiers, but the Taliban have a role to
play in the country’s future and we should talk with them.  Can that be
so much worse than dealing with our current allies, the cruel and
corrupt warlords who care not a jot for human rights?  Our money at
least buys us some influence with the warlords; perhaps its provision
for development purposes can also be used to persuade the Taliban to
keep Al Qaida at a distance and curb the worst excesses of their
treatment of women.

To make Britain a safer place we have to win hearts and minds in the
Muslim world.  We have to address the causes of grievance used by our
opponents to bring people to their side.  Our attack on Iraq did us
great damage.  Our involvement in Afghanistan risks doing the same.  The
failure of Europe as a whole to address the injustice experienced by
Palestinians is a source of anger amongst Muslims that we consistently
underestimate.  We should learn our lessons.

Yes, we must be prepared to use force to defend our values when
necessary, but military action can only be taken when the objective is
clear.  That is very far from the case in Afghanistan.  We should
not allow more soldiers to be killed and maimed because politicians here
are too unwilling to lose face, too embarrassed to admit that lives have
been lost in vain, or too weak to challenge orthodoxy within NATO.

Afghanistan has defeated Britain in the past.  It has defeated the
Russians.  The present campaign is not going to result in a triumph for
America or its British and other allies.  If our troops are to remain
there it should be only to provide support and training for Afghans.
They should not be on the frontline.

I would welcome your views.

CHRIS DAVIES MEP