Scott Horton Interviews Brian Cloughley
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Brian Cloughley, author of War, Coups and Terror: Pakistan’s Army in Years of Turmoil, discusses his article “System Failure: Training the Afghan Army;” why it’s difficult enough to field an army of countrymen who are literate and share a common language – and near impossible to cobble one together in Afghanistan; the new low of US-Afghan relations following the recent massacre; and expectations that US withdrawal will plunge the country into civil war, like when the Soviets departed in 1989.
MP3 here. (17:58)
Brian Cloughley has studied South Asian affairs for over thirty years and is South Asia defense analyst for Jane’s Sentinel, Country Risk, covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, updating material monthly. He also analyzes chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear developments in the region for Jane’s Information Group.
Goerge W. Bush
March 14th, 2012 at 5:23 am
This man is the product of a society, culture and system that worships violence.
eCAHNomics
March 14th, 2012 at 5:34 am
Afghans are using U.S. training to know how to fight the U.S. enemy and the steal U.S. weapons.
Minutemen did same thing with the Brits.
eCAHNomics
March 14th, 2012 at 5:41 am
The soldiers he trained won what wars?
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 7:25 am
The military mind — Can’t advance to the rear so just keep fighting
DARKNESS
Brian Cloughley
“There is no way out… an impossible situation…
no time to train… a half million troops and we’ll
still be there forever…”
LIGHT
Listening to the authoritarian voice of the guest speaker, it so reminds me of our platoon leader in the Vietnam War when he would call out, “Do something — Even if its wrong.” A military idiom that must still be in full force and effect, for a Special Forces Sgt. trained to be a sniper woke up from a nightmare and felt compelled to do, right or wrong, just what came natural.
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 7:47 am
Always a way forward — If your walking in the light
As a retired vocational school instructor, may I suggest that half of the military trainers in Afghanistan be brought home and replaced with vocation instructors. For nothing makes a solder more patriotic and willing to defend his country then receiving job skills that increase his self-worth and future income.
Problem is, the last thing our Empire wants is for Afghans troops to be like the young men in Iran, ready, willing and able to defend their country.
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 9:35 am
Truth — Stranger then mainstream propaganda
Press TV News
“Afghan tribal leaders say the recent massacre of Afghan civilians by US troops has been pre-planned and not carried out by a lone soldier, Press TV reports.
“The tribal leaders of the southern province of Kandahar said on Monday that several US forces, not a single soldier, contributed to the brutal carnage of Afghan civilians and that the violent action had been planned previously.
They said the carnage was in retaliation against a deadly bomb attack on the US troops in the Zangabad district in the town of Panjwaii in the province of Kandahar, which inflicted serious damage on the American military forces.
Following the bomb blast, the American forces summoned local Afghans and tribal leaders of the region and vowed a bloody revenge on their children and wives, Kandahar tribal leaders added…
Local witnesses… put the number of the victims at 18…
.
.http://www.presstv.ir/detail/231533.html
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 12:36 am
Escot, maybe we should move to Afghaistan theres anarchy there; man, anarchy! Exactly what you like!!
Brian Cloughley
March 15th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
From Brian : My goodness — please look at my website. I hate violence! I saw enough of it during my 36 years in military service.
eCAHNomics
March 16th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Hmmm. You hate violence but spent 36 years doing it….