Iraq and Afghanistan

I went to listen to John Major speak at lunchtime. What joy to hear the polish and wit of an elder statesman! He made some interesting comments on Iraq and Afghanistan, both places where we have insufficient troops and inadequate resources. Iraq was entered on falsehoods. Casualties and civil violence are growing but the Iraqi government won't let the army enter the worst areas because it would be "inflammatory". Unemployment is 50-60%, inflation 70% and resentment is focussed on the coalition. There is a double dilemma: if we leave there may well be civil war or a militant Islamic government, if we stay, the resentment grows everyday.
Nobody has a clear idea of our mission in Afghanistan: is it to promote democracy, to build a nation, to fight against terrorism or to capture OBL? Historically it has been a tough place to fight: think of the Afghan Wars and the fact that in 1979-89 the Russians had 120,000 soldiers there and had to leave with their tails between their legs. We have 6000 men (half of whom are support staff) in one of the most dangerous parts without enough helicopters or body armour. The coalition forces are painted as invading interlopers and there is a danger that the aggrieved population will turn back to support the Taliban. He heard one spokesman out there telling the people that the West gives $50bn aid to the Third World (as JM asked, where's the Second World?) and yet spends seven times that on agricultural subsidies to an already well-fed Europe and US.
He thinks that we need to win the hearts and minds of the people and that there can't be a military victory without an intellectual victory. We need to have dialogue. To quote Churchill, "Jaw, jaw is better than war, war." When the IRA was bombing the UK, JM started to have discussions with them which was controversial at the time but which began the peace process.