Brown tries to justify war as two more squaddies perish By TITVS ADVXAS

Afghan aims 'realistic' - Brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the UK's aims in Afghanistan are "realistic and achievable" in a speech defending the government's strategy.

He said he knew he was asking "a great deal" of British troops, more than 50 of whom had been killed this summer.

But he said he believed they were doing the "right thing" by Britain and for the people of Afghanistan.

On Thursday ministerial aide Eric Joyce quit, questioning the government's arguments for keeping troops there.

And on Friday the Ministry of Defence named Lance Corporal Richard Brandon as the soldier killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan on Thursday.

The total number of British personnel killed in the country since 2001 is 212.

Explosive devices

In a long and detailed assessment of Britain's strategy at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Mr Brown attempted to set out what he believes are the measures of success for Britain in Afghanistan.

He said Taliban tactics had changed from a head-on military conflict to, effectively, guerrilla warfare using explosive devices - 1,000 of which had been dismantled this summer.

Other measures of success would be increasing Afghan forces and strong leadership in Afghan provinces as well as more economic progress, to give people a stake in the country, other than in heroin production.

Britain was committed to training up more Afghan forces, moving from a mentoring to partnering them, he said.

He was careful not to commit to a timetable for the withdrawal of British troops, but said: "It remains my judgement that a safer Britain requires a safer Afghanistan."

'Heartbreaking'

Downing Street has been keen to stress that the speech was not a response to Eric Joyce's resignation and had been planned for some time.

But Mr Brown said he wanted to tackle "head on" some of the criticisms of the government's strategy insisting that British troops are part of an international effort involving over 40 countries and that their presence in Afghanistan reduced the threat of terrorism on Britain's streets.

And he said there was "nothing more heartbreaking" than meeting the families of those killed, or those who had been seriously injured, in action.

He added: "When I meet young people who have suffered at the hands of the Taliban and who are in hospital and when I meet the families of those people who have been bereaved, I have to keep asking myself: 'Are we taking the right decisions for them and for the conduct of the action in Afghanistan?'

"Are we doing what is right both by our forces and by the population of this country? And every time I ask myself these questions, my answer is yes, we are taking the right action, the action that is necessary, to safeguard both our country and promote security in the world."

Uneven contributions

Mr Joyce told the BBC the government "must make it clear that there is an end in sight" to operations in Afghanistan.

He said: "I think it's important that we reflect on exactly why we're in Afghanistan.

"I said already, of course it's all about securing people in the UK, but it's also important to note that there are lots of other countries, just as big as Britain, that don't contribute in the way we do and also America are so vast they could do the job themselves."

There are more than 9,000 UK troops in Afghanistan and opposition parties have been questioning whether they are sufficiently equipped for the operation.

Mr Brown said in his speech that military spending had been increased, and was about £180,000 per year to support each soldier fighting in 2006 but was now over twice that, £390,000 for each soldier.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said there was a "great deal of disquiet" on Labour benches.

"If we are to speed up the training of the Afghan National Army, how exactly will this be done? Will it require more British troops?

"On the equipment front, we need to see more armoured vehicles delivered more quickly and we need to know how they are going to be transported given the lack of airlift capacity. Much more detail is required about the practicalities on both manning and equipment."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "Eric Joyce confirms what I have been saying for a long time, our approach in Afghanistan is over-ambitious and under-resourced."

How long will these people realise that our involvement makes the terrorists continue their action.

Browns arrogance at the way he can dismiss the value of the lives of our soldiers is sickening.

He almost appears to salivate as the gaze of his only eye is firmly planted on the spoils of the oil

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Please State... By TITVS-ADVXAS

As a youngster, growing up in a white working class area of Birmingham, known as Acocks Green, in the sixties, I was happy. I was oblivious too. Oblivious to the need for a totalitarian nanny state
But I am in England. Part of The United Kingdom. Our Queen is head of The Commonwealth. We are in the land of the free. We don't need that sort of government.

But the government had its own idea.

As a youth I watched television programs about South American States and Central African States where people disappeared overnight with no explanation, where the police and secret police had absolute autonomy and power. Where hundreds of people would be arrested early in the morning for planning a peaceful protest... Hang on. Reality Check. What I detested so much about places like Russia or Uganda or Chile or China in the 70s, is happening here in the UK today!

This news cutting from BBC news is typical of the Ruling Labour Fascist Regime:
Police arrest 114 in 'power demo'
More than 100 people have been arrested in Nottingham over a suspected plan to target a power station. Police said 114 men and women were arrested in Sneinton Dale on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass and criminal damage. Officers said they believed those arrested were planning to protest at nearby Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. A spokesman said "specialist equipment" had been found by officers who feared a threat to the safety of the site. He said police thought there was a "serious threat" to the power station. The arrests were made at an independent school. There were no injuries. 'Real bedlam' Residents in the suburb of Sneinton contacted the BBC with reports of a large police presence in the area. Tess Rearden, who lives near where the arrests were made, said she saw 20 police vehicles. She said: "It was all slamming of doors and van doors and all these vans were coming up here - police vans, riot vans. "My son came out of his bedroom and he said: 'Have you seen what's going on out front?' "They were all up and down the roads here. It was bedlam, real bedlam." City councillor David Mellen said: "I understand there was some kind of gathering of people here last night and police took action. "Obviously it's disturbing for the neighbours in the area but if police had information there was some kind of danger to the power supply for people in the East Midlands, then obviously they need to take action." Power station operator Eon said it was aware of the arrests but would not comment further.

Historically, in fascist states, people were never allowed to organise a public peaceful protest.
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