TWO hundred years ago, community justice was the stocks; visible justice was the gallows.

Society is unrecognisable now, but if I’d like to feel, no, to be absolutely sure, that the fight we are pursuing in Afghanistan is a ‘just war’.

But I have my doubts. Did we go in just to please the USA like we did in Iraq? Was it a Bush and Blair thing? Or are we really there for the reasons those in power give us?

Is it ‘free the women, and educate the girls?’ or ‘beat the Taliban and find Al Qaeda?’ Then there’s the big one – ‘to set up a working democracy?’.

They smack a little of ‘we know best and what’s good for you’ and are going to make them see sense, whether it’s what they want or not.

Personally I don’t think we have a cat in hell’s chance of a ‘victory’. At best it should be a dignified withdrawal and let it be soon before more lives are sacrificed.

It’s difficult, for this is not a war against an army but against a people, which is being fought in a vast rough country with a large number of clans and tribal loyalties. Over the centuries many similar attempts have been made against them by many nations, with thousands of lives both military and civilian lost, and to no avail.

The way forward is to lead by example and by finding a way to talk to the leaders of these groups.

From my own point of view, we are pushing the insurgents further into Pakistan, and giving them a reason to target Britain as they can now portray us as the big bad invaders. But you must understand this is only the way I see it, there may be strong reasons that we are not privy to. I hope there are, as I wouldn’t like to think of our lads dying in vain.

If the reasons are solid and good, then we must make sure our forces are properly trained and fully equipped, and not with stuff that the USA have already discarded as useless.

We are informed daily of the sad deaths, but no mention is made of the wounded. I’m sure there are many but are they getting the treatment and compensation they deserve? The thing about war, any war, is the far reaching effect on families, and that’s something that doesn’t end with the hostilities but continues for life.

The battle we should be fighting is the attack on both our borders and liberties. We need stronger port control, both at sea and in the air, stricter barricade checks at borders and to keep a very close watch on Government, who constantly plot to erode our freedoms.

These are battles I’m willing to fight, so if I start recruiting will you stand by me?