Joe Glenton and Afghanistan – Ever a lad so wrong?

I’m late onto the scene with this story, but with it coming up again recently I thought it needed commenting upon.

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton is refusing to return to Afghanistan because he has identified it as an unjust war. He is now going to be facing prsion due to playing a major role in a anti war protest

Here is the text of the letter he has sent to downing street:

“Dear Mr. Brown,

I am writing to you as a serving soldier in the British army ...

to express my views and concerns on the current conflict in Afghanistan.

It is my primary concern that the courage and tenacity of my fellow soldiers has become a tool of American foreign policy. I believe this unethical short-changing of such proud men and women has caused immeasurable suffering not only to families of British service personnel who have been killed and injured, but also to the noble people of Afghanistan.

I have seen qualities in the Afghan people which have also been for so long apparent and admired in the British soldier. Qualities of robustness, humour, utter determination and unwillingness to take a step backwards. However it is these qualities, on both sides, which I fear will continue to cause a state of attrition. These will only lead to more heartbreak within both our societies.

I am not a general nor am I a politician and I cannot claim any mastery of strategy. However, I am a soldier who has served in Afghanistan, which has given me some small insight.

I believe that when British military personnel submit themselves to the service of the nation and put their bodies into harm’s way, the government that sends them into battle is obliged to ensure that the cause is just and right, i.e. for the protection of life and liberty.

The war in Afghanistan is not reducing the terrorist risk, far from improving Afghan lives it is bringing death and devastation to their country. Britain has no business there.

I do not believe that our cause in Afghanistan is just or right. I implore you, Sir, to bring our soldiers home.

Yours sincerely,

Joe Glenton

Lance/Corporal, Royal Logistics Corps”

I understand that many people join the army for different reasons (Often here in the North East due to financial pressure with the lack of productive jobs in the region) and may not realise the consequences of the choice they make. Films, books, even the BBC on occasion have somewhat glorified the wars Britain have been in placing the thought in these lads they can fulfill their romantic dreams of nationalism and patriotism at the same time – with the glorification of the nation in recent times it’s easy to be sucked in; Suddenly, it’s not about a uniform and having sex when you’re back home, but it’s about a war which your moral compass tells you is unethical.

However this young chap seems to be somewhat naive – and wrong on a number of levels. Apparently he signed up in 2004, so you can hardly excuse him as being unaware of the situation.

Does he really think that we can relieve the suffering of the civilian Afghan’s by bringing the troops home? Does he really thinks the suffering of ‘noble’ Afghans will decrease if the Taliban are allowed to go back? He seems to think that thinks that the UK and Afghans would be safer is these sorts of people were in allowed in power? It’s not like they don’t have a history of giving sanctuary to terrorists which have attacked/plan to attack us.

Opinion polls in the UK show support for the troops being there is at an all time low with a number of the fringe political parties calling for withdrawal and pressure from within the Liberal Democrats to adopt the same position there’s reason to worry.

Given that pulling out and leaving the country to its fate shouldn’t be an option, what else is there?

I do wonder what impact having UN peacekeepers from Muslim countries would have on the situation there. It also brings into question whether the UN should employ its own standing army rather than waiting for contributions from nation states – thus giving it some sort of operational independence without being hamstrung by the domestic politics of some countries.

A politically neutral force that can alleviate the tensions between the Afghans and the troops and placate nationalistic tensions from the British public.

For now, we have to deal with the inevitable backlash over this Joe Glenton being courts martialed, and think yet again how we can get the correct strategy for Afghanistan – and win the support of the British electorate.

Hide