Our most senior military chief, Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup is stating the bleedin' obvious when he says we can't fight a war on two fronts. Of course we can't. We are over stretched and over there. But try telling that to the politicians.
Just look at history. Both Napoleon and Hitler tried and failed.
With 8000 UK troops fighting a dirty war in Afghanistan and 4000 holed up for the time being around Basra, any general worth his pips would come to the same conclusion.
His views echo those made recently by another top forces chief Sir Richard Dannat, Chief of the General Staff.
The US however can go for as long as public option lets them. Their economy is huge and the military and defence contracts are tied up in these wars.
But that's not the same over here.
Go further - tell the politicians that the war in Afghanistan can't be won. Ever. And UK troops should pull our now before the spectre of the body bags becomes just too terrible to contemplate.
The UK has a tradition of the armed forces keeping out of politics - a strong tradition where the political state is kept at arms length from the military state - that's what makes our democracy healthy.
It must be getting bad if the top brass has to speak out. If only the politicians would keep out of operational military matters.
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