Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war

[venta]

This morning, on the Today programme, I heard various people talking about the NATO troops' actions in Afghanistan. Someone, I forget who, commented that the fighting in the South was "at close quarters, bayonets fitted".

Which staggered me. I maybe haven't been paying as much attention as I should to the fighting in Afghanistan, but the idea that a 21st century soldier is still using a bayonet (I assume it wasn't just a figure of speech ?) had never occurred to me.

Mind you, I also heard a former US Ambassador to NATO describe certain member countries' refusals to commit troops to the most dangerous areas as "pesky". Which was nearly as incredible.

Comments

[ewx.livejournal.com]

If your enemy can call in air strikes, or is merely much better equipped with long-distance weapons than you, then you have a pressing incentive to get close in before revealing your attack...