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Many questions over Afghan war need answering
THERE was a larger than usual turnout at Remembrance parades across the country two Sundays ago.
I took part in the parades in Aviemore and Inverness, and it was heartening to see so many young people taking part, as well as such large numbers of local people at the memorial.
There is, of course, heightened awareness of the sacrifice made by our brave armed forces due to the war in Afghanistan. Barely a day seems to go by without a further tragedy befalling those serving there. The support being shown to our troops is very important and I am sure it will be on display again when the Black Watch have their homecoming parade in Inverness next month.
But there is less support and understanding for our war aims in Afghanistan. It was clearly right for us to be involved in the invasion of 2001, to rid the world of a Taleban regime that was actively supporting terrorists. Sadly, the focus then moved to Iraq and the illegal war there absorbed the resources and attention that should have been devoted to rebuilding Afghanistan and winning hearts and minds.
Hard questions now have to be asked. We need to be clear about our reasons to be there. We need a clear, co-ordinated international strategy that everyone signs up to. And we need tough action to root out corruption in the Karzai regime. The attempt to rig the presidential election shows just how deep it goes. The Afghan regime needs to know that there is no blank cheque from Britain and others, and to be forced to involve a much wider range of Afghan people in the government.
The question now is whether a new strategy can turn things around. That is why all eyes are on President Obama. His long-awaited announcement of a new approach will be pivotal in determining whether the international community can still succeed.
So far, attention has focused on whether he will commit more troops, as requested by General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan. Certainly, extra troops are a necessary component of success, but, as General McChrystal acknowledges, far from sufficient. It would be senseless to send more soldiers to Afghanistan if the underlying strategy is not changed to give them a meaningful chance of success.
The final ingredient of success in Afghanistan is political leadership here at home. We need relentless explanation from the government about why this war is necessary. The inability of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to explain the Afghan conflict is one of the most shocking failures of political leadership in recent times.
We are at a tipping point in Afghanistan. We need to be sure that these questions are properly answered so that the mission there has a chance to succeed and our troops, when they come home, know that the mission has been successfully accomplished.
EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT
On Friday, I had the honour to be asked to present Inverness College awards. It was inspiring to see so many young people having their outstanding achievement recognised, at the wide range of educational levels offered at the College.
Inverness College is bringing huge benefits to Inverness and to the Highlands, through business training, through vocational training, through degrees awarded through the University of the Highlands and Islands, through the innovative bio-fuel research being done in the School of Forestry. Especially at a time when people, of all ages, are struggling in the recession education such as that offered at the College is offering them a brighter future.
I just wish that the UK government was showing the same commitment to the future of that rapidly and disgracefully growing group of young people finding themselves unemployed as a result of the recession. More than one in four of the unemployed people in the Highlands is now under 25. The government should not be asking those people to wait nine months for extra help to find work - it should be available immediately.
Posted on: 17/11/2009
