Your last sentence or two has just given a sound reason for being in Afghanistan. The Taliban, and anything remotely like them, are an insane plague. We have to share a planet with them, although sharing is not a reasonable option. I can’t condone some of what has happened there, but attempting to either destroy the likes of the Taliban, or at least keep them in check for the time being, is good enough for me.

Sean. How on earth can someone red thumb you for your comment. Think I’m going to stop using The Journal very negative lately.

`Sean
No you are not off base. I agree . May this young man rest in peace.
Sometime there are no words to express our feelings so we just
offer our condolences. in a traditional manner ,

Perhaps you should say to his family and loved ones.

Someone should, and I would if I met them. I am not being facetious. They are being manipulated by cynical warmongers as surely as the kids commemorated yesterday.

If enough of us did, who would fight for them?I brought my kids up to see through bullshit. Some young men cannot be reasoned out of their false ideals of manhood and courage.
I know and have known soldiers, many in it for highly admirable reasons, but imperial war is not an admirable pursuit.

We won’t hear about the kids our ‘heroes’ orphan, or maim, daily.

And what about the many good works that soldiers from many countries do in countries like Afghanistan (including Irish soldiers in Lebanon) Damien? Or is is all about killing woman and children?

What about the schools, infrastructure, medical facilities that have greatly improved for many people in Afghanistan over the last ten years. How did that happen?

The irony is reg that the Russians were runnig similar programs after they went in to support their ally, and were sabotaged by the US/Nato/Saudi created bin Laden fundamentalist terror which eventually blew-back into the current occupation.

Its about hegemony and resources..not individual acts of decency. Part of the containment of Iran to exclude China from ‘our oil’.

And if you want whataboutery..what about the explosion of heroin production under the warlords Nato has installed?
Much of which is poisoning kids from the home countries of these duped soldiers. Shed them a tear, for their slow miserable unrecorded inglorious deaths in gutters.
Are you aware of the Opium Wars history?It is still a cash-cow resource. Google the mineral and gas resources of this unfortunate country.
Irish soldiers being there is part of our stealth incorporation into Nato; a long-term ambition of FG, from way back.

I heard it happened during a football match with a local team.

Worse than Meath, eh.

Kilmichael tactic of Tom Barry used again 92 years later.