UK 阿富汗撤軍，哪那樣簡單！

【Comment】

聯合王國結束其在阿富汗的戰鬥任務 (combat operations)，全數撤出，任務交給阿富汗軍方。 

13年的任務，總共死亡453名。
 

聯合王國基地的降旗典禮有此敘述：It was a US-led ceremony with speeches by American and Afghan commanders.  US marines alongside British and Afghan soldiers formed a guard of honour, saluting as the national anthems of all three countries were played over a loudspeaker.

注意到這句話了嗎？Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said UK support would continue through "institutional development", the Afghan National Army Officer Academy and development aid.  且 the UK's "important role in training Afghan security forces", who would continue to be supported.

敵意佔領結束，友好佔領開始。

報導的這句話講得很含蓄：As American marching tunes were piped over the sound system, the Afghan flag stood on its own.

還有這句：But they fulfilled a commitment to send 3,300 troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO force.

報導最令人動容的是：聯合王國承認犯錯。Mr Fallon said: "Mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years.

包括聯合王國無力同時處理兩場戰鬥：In 2004, the Army was still engaged in the conflict in Iraq and its leaders admit they were aware that they did not have the resources to fight in more than one campaign for any length of time.

戰鬥層次與戰略層次都有該檢討之處：Brig Ed Butler, said: "We were underprepared, we were under-resourced, and most importantly, we didn't have a clear and achievable strategy to deliver success."  Gen Wall told a BBC Two documentary: "We had put forward a plan saying that for the limited objectives that we had set ourselves, this was a reasonable force.  And I freely admit now, that calculus was wrong."

所以，"We're not going to send combat troops back into Afghanistan, under any circumstances," Mr Fallon added.

這是政治的世俗化，沒有一方不犯錯，犯錯並不一定犯法。國民當然也不必也無需將政府視為神或父母。

其他國家很少見到官方的反省，較好的狀況是：民間公開反省，政府關門反省。

【相關閱讀】

20140930 阿富汗：佔領結束，駐軍還在

奧巴馬擬讓近萬美軍留守阿富汗○WSJ（2014.05.28）

美阿雙邊安保協定五大重點○Radio Free Europe (2014.10.01)（雲程譯）

UK ends Afghan combat operations○BBC (2014.10.26) http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29776544

The last UK base in Afghanistan has been handed over to the control of Afghan security forces, ending British combat operations in the country.

The union flag was lowered at Camp Bastion, while Camp Leatherneck - the adjoining US base - was also handed over to Afghan control.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would never forget those who had died serving their country.

The number of deaths of British troops throughout the conflict stands at 453.

The death toll among US military personnel stands at 2,349.

Mr Cameron tweeted: "I made a commitment that I would get our Armed Forces out of Afghanistan by 2015 and today sees the end of combat operations in the country.

"We will always remember the courage of those who served in Afghanistan on our behalf and never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice."

'Courage and commitment'

A spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry welcomed the handover, which he said "puts our capabilities into practice".

"Afghan security forces have been leading the fight in ground operations in the country for two years now."

The UK forces were part of a US-led coalition which toppled the ruling Taliban in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks in the US.

After 9/11, US President George Bush had demanded that the Taliban hand over any leaders of al-Qaeda - the militant group which later claimed responsibility for the attacks - in Afghanistan, but the Taliban did not immediately comply.

Taliban leaders called for talks, but US President George Bush said there would be "no negotiations" and military action started on 7 October.

Camp Bastion, in Helmand province, has been the UK troops' main Afghan base since 2006.  At the time it opened, the UK said its forces would be there to protect reconstruction of the country, but they got caught up in the struggle against the Taliban - which continues to fight and has carried out attacks in recent weeks.

Helmand's Provincial Governor Naim Baluch said British forces and their allies had improved security and Afghanistan was grateful for their "courage and commitment".

He said Afghans were now "ready to deliver security ourselves".

Democratic transition

Responding to the handover, Labour party leader Ed Miliband said: "All those who served did so to help ensure Afghanistan could no longer be used as a safe haven for terrorists."

He added that Britain "must make sure that we continue to give the right support to the Afghan government both politically and through humanitarian aid, so that security and stability in Afghanistan can be maintained in the years to come".

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said UK support would continue through "institutional development", the Afghan National Army Officer Academy and development aid.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Fallon accepted the Taliban had not been defeated, but said Afghan forces were now taking "full responsibilities".

He said: "Our armed forces' tremendous sacrifice laid the foundations for a strong Afghan security force, set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country's history, and stopped it being a launch pad for terrorist attacks in the UK."

'No return'

Asked about UK military operations, Mr Fallon said: "Mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years.

"Clearly the numbers weren't there at the beginning, the equipment wasn't quite good enough at the beginning and we've learnt an awful lot from the campaign.

"But don't let's ignore what has been achieved."

Mr Fallon said most of the UK forces would be home by Christmas, with a few hundred staying to help with training at the officer academy.

"We're not going to send combat troops back into Afghanistan, under any circumstances," he added.

The Union flag has been flying in Helmand since 2006.

In a simple ceremony in Bastion - the now mostly empty main base for UK forces - it was lowered for the last time.

The moment was a symbol - for Britain at least - that its war in Afghanistan was over.

US marines alongside British and Afghan soldiers formed a guard of honour, saluting as the national anthems of all three countries were played over a loudspeaker.

It was a US-led ceremony with speeches by American and Afghan commanders.

There was no British voice.

As American marching tunes were piped over the sound system, the Afghan flag stood on its own.

The Afghans will now carry on a fight that's already claimed the lives of around 4,000 of their security forces this year.

As for the few remaining British troops in Bastion - about 300 - they will be leaving for good soon.

UK military 'made wrong calculations' on Afghanistan○BBC (2014.10.22) http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29714738

Military leaders failed to calculate the magnitude of the conflict in Afghanistan, the former head of the British army has told the BBC.

Gen Sir Peter Wall said they thought they had a "reasonable force" for their limited objectives, but he now admits they got it wrong.

The commander in Helmand in 2006, Brig Ed Butler, said troops were "underprepared and under-resourced".

The MoD said it was "proud of what we have achieved in Afghanistan".

Since the conflict began in 2001, 453 British troops have died.

In 2004, the Army was still engaged in the conflict in Iraq and its leaders admit they were aware that they did not have the resources to fight in more than one campaign for any length of time.

But they fulfilled a commitment to send 3,300 troops to Afghanistan as part of the Nato force.

Gen Wall told a BBC Two documentary: "We had put forward a plan saying that for the limited objectives that we had set ourselves, this was a reasonable force.  And I freely admit now, that calculus was wrong."

'Flawed assumption'

Military leaders had assumed that the operation in Iraq would have been winding down when troops were deployed to Afghanistan, but in 2005 the situation in Iraq was deteriorating.

Lord Dannatt, head of the Army between 2006 and 2009, said: "Looking back we probably should have realised, maybe I should realised, that the circumstances in Iraq were such that the assumption that we would get down to just 1,000 or 1,500 soldiers by summer 2006 was flawed - it was running at many thousands.

Find out more

"We called it the perfect storm, because we knew that we were heading for two considerable size operations and we really only had the organisation and manpower for one.

"And therefore perhaps we should have revisited the decision that we the UK would lead an enlarged mission in southern Afghanistan in 2006.  Perhaps we should have done that.  We didn't do that."

Lord Richards commanded the 35,000 troops from 37 nations in Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) from 2006-07.  He said there was an "institutional reluctance" to accept the conflict could deteriorate.

He said: "We have a phrase in the Army, hope for the best but plan for the worst.  We were actually hoping for the best and planning for the best.  I mean I didn't have the resources I needed.

"I didn't have a reserve, I didn't even have an aircraft to fly round my own patch. I mean we just weren't in the real world."

In the summer of 2006, some British forces in Afghanistan found themselves effectively stranded in a number of outposts in the north of Helmand province.  Overstretched, under constant fire and heavily dependent on helicopters, soldiers ran dangerously low on food, water and ammunition.

The commander of the British forces in Helmand in 2006, Brig Ed Butler, said: "We were underprepared, we were under-resourced, and most importantly, we didn't have a clear and achievable strategy to deliver success."

Lord Dannatt said: "There was a real danger that we would find that we couldn't support our people, that we would find a platoon cut off and potentially massacred."

But army chiefs remain confident that in the long term, the mission was worthwhile.

Gen Wall said: "The lasting impact we will have had is not just to sanitise the threat to allow the development of governance and economy, but to be a witness to and stimulus for very significant social change, with an improving economy, with jobs, with much developed farming opportunities in contrast to narcotics.

"Had we not done this, Helmand could well be looking rather like the borders of Syria and Iraq."

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "It is well-documented that the beginning of the Afghan campaign presented military obstacles but we can be proud of what we have achieved in Afghanistan.

"With our international partners we went to remove Al-Qaeda terrorists who were plotting to kill people and cause destruction on our own streets and to prevent their return.  That has been the most important part of the mission and the terrorist threat to the UK from this region has been substantially reduced."

The statement also highlighted the UK's "important role in training Afghan security forces", who would continue to be supported.

Watch Afghanistan: The Lion's Last Roar on BBC Two on 26 October and 2 November at 21:00 BST. Or watch again on iPlayer.