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2009-09-19 Europe

Debate Over Italian Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan Heats Up

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Posted by Steve White 2009-09-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 I don't think Italy ever recovered from its bloody WWI fight against the Austro-Hungarian and German armies, in the eleven battles of the Isonzo River. 650,000 Italian dead and over a million wounded.

And they were not even partially recovered by WWII, that decimated them further.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-09-19 00:20|| 2009-09-19 00:20|| Front Page Top

#2 My concern is that the inevitable withdrawl is hasty and ill-planned leaving behind another Somalia or worse a regional power struggle.

India has only to grab a couple of hundred square kilometers of disputed Kashmir and they have a land route to Afghanistan and the whole of central Asia. China would never stand for that.

Posted by phil_b 2009-09-19 05:50|| 2009-09-19 05:50|| Front Page Top

#3 "Soldier of the Great War" is a great book about an Italian soldier in World War 1.

Posted by bman">bman 2009-09-19 09:34|| 2009-09-19 09:34|| Front Page Top

#4 Given how the American commander-in-chief has been talking about Afghanistan, can you blame the various other participants for being less than enthusiastic about continuing?

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-09-19 10:07|| 2009-09-19 10:07|| Front Page Top

#5 #4 Given how the American commander-in-chief has been talking about Afghanistan, can you blame the various other participants for being less than enthusiastic about continuing? Posted by: trailing wife 2009-09-19 10:07

TW, not just talking about Afghanistan, but also throwing long time allies (Poland, Czech Republic) under the bus; you can't really blame our friends for not wanting to "waste" their people on one of Bambi's whims.

Posted by WolfDog 2009-09-19 11:11|| 2009-09-19 11:11|| Front Page Top

#6 A useful expansion of my little point, dear WolfDog. Thank you. :-)

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-09-19 20:59|| 2009-09-19 20:59|| Front Page Top

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