Five Swedish soldiers injured in Afghanistan

I hope the soldiers have a full recovery and that there is no permanent disability.

I hope these injured soldiers are given everything they need to have a full recovery.

Sad but inevitable. US and UK losses are climbing every day almost.

This war though has and Anglo Saxon/western domination slant and will ultimately be lost.

In the 80,s UK and USA trained and supplied the Taliban (mujahdin) to kill Soviets........now Ironically those skills are used in the present western occupation of thier country. Even Sweden is now joining the party!

Historically, the world powers have invaded Afghanistan many times and never won.

One can imagine, the Afghan fighters mindset and how they see the latest invasion. I dont like the Taliban.....but then see the bigger game the west and particularly UK/USA are playing.

How can you win with talibans who are willing to die, u cant win with those people who are willing to DIE.

See

http://www.thelocal.se/23210/20091111/

There is no credibility gap. The Afghanisatan government and US administration there have absolutely no credibility at all. There is nothing to bridge the gap with.

The only way to sort the mess in Afghanisatan out is to completely remove all the government structures and start over again. That includes removing all US administrators.

Europeans need to be put in charge until the situation is stabalised. That may take 15 to 30 years in the case of Afghanisatan.

There needs to be at least another 100,000 to 150,000 combat troops on the ground. We need at least 200,000 troops there at any time to stabilise the situation, with more on standby in case of an insurgency, so as to quickly annihilate it.

Any weapon seized, there is a simple to solution to tracking it. We need to take note of the serial numbers and start arresting the weapon sellers. If the factory does not give the sellers details, there is simple solution to that. We carpet bomb the factory without warning, no matter what country it is in. After the first weapon factory is carpet bombed, details of sellers will be handed over very quickly. Then we can stop the supply of weapons to insurgents in Afghanisatan.

The drug dealing that is funding the war needs to be completely eradicated.

All opium fields need to be incinerated, without exception, no matter how inconvenient it is to politicians and security forces.

Any soldier, official or politician turning a blind eye to growing opium, including those from allied governments, needs to be arrested, tried and jailed for dealing drugs. No mercy should be given.

Any farmer agreeing to burn there crops, needs to have modern farmhouses built and all machinery on the farm updated to modern standards. Any farmer not burning there opium crops needs to have there land confiscated and mined with non detectable mines, to prevent it being farmed for opium again.

Any politicans making excuses for not tackling the drug dealing in Afghanisatan and trying to say it is not about drugs, should be arrested, tried and jailed for drug dealing.

Drug dealers are drug dealers. It does not matter if they are street seller, couriers, refiners or growers. They are all the same thing, drug dealers who are filling our streets with death.

Since the US created this mess in the first place they should pay for all of it.

The game playing in Afghanisatan needs to stop.

Talk to any returning soldier, they will all tell you about the opium fields. Some will show the pictures were they are posing with people cutting the opium poppies. That opium is funding killing our soldiers and filling our streets in Europe with heroin. That opium is making the Taliban who are now the world's biggest drug dealing cartel, very rich. We need to put a hard stop to the drug dealing organisation called the Taliban.

The carrot and stock approach I just outlined would he the best approach in my opinion.

Sweden needs to send their special forces to Afghanistan. More or less the infantry aren't able to patrol much or engage in combat, let the SOF do some reconnaissance and establish some security so the Swedish forces can further engage in reconstruction.

Sweden is not in Afghanistan in an actual combat role. Most NATO countries are there only in a support role. The only countries in an official combat role have been the USA, UK and Canada. My country has been in Afghanistan since 2002 and has lost 133 soldiers plus a diplomat and two civilian aid workers. It was recently announced that we're supposed to be leaving in 2011, which is something most Canadians want since this isn't a popular conflict at home.

When Canada leaves, somebody else is going to have to step up and pick up the slack and take over Canada's combat role situation. I very much doubt that Sweden would do this, and am fairly sure that the majority of Swedes would not want them to do so. War is hell and Afghanistan is a shithole of a country. I don't know if this war is winnable, but certainly feel very sorry for the Afghanistan people should the Taliban take over when the west leaves.

Wa

@Greg, I understand what you mean but I feel it's worth it still. Hard to believe but it has to be. I've read and am very aware of what your brave countrymen have done in Kandahar. That will never be forgotten.

The Swedes have a battalion sized contingent but only around 100 of them are actually fitted for combat and i believe from reports that they can only patrol and have to radio in for engagement. I would figure SOF would be of much aid to the current situation as the North is spiraling out of control due to less than full engagement by the Germans and Norwegians.

Oh plus countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Romania, Estonia and Australia are in combat. Not as much as the US, UK and Canada but way more than the likes of say Hungary, France, Turkey, Spain, Greece.

What's the big deal? They are professional soldiers and the only claim to fame in that job is the be shot at.

@Askar, well anything dealing with combat and Swedish troops would warrant front page media obsession for weeks. But look at Denmark. They've had 700 troops in the South for the past 3 years facing combat of the likes they have never faced before and the country is way supportive and it's becoming natural so to speak. Sweden hasn't seen such combat even with Taliban insurgents- in over 200years.

the interpreter who was killed was named Hussaini (we called him 'Hamid'). he was 24 years old and was a beautiful person inside and out. he was loved and will be missed.