Kabul - - Christmas - - 1842!

This is coolbert:

I thought it would be worthwhile to repeat the account of the British, retreating from Kabul, 1842!. 17,000 British troops with camp followers, attempting to march the ninety or so miles to safety.

ONLY ONE MAN MADE IT!!! The rest, gone with the wind!!

Thanks to MilitaryPhotos web site, through hist2004:

"The First Anglo-Afghan War 1839-1842"

"When you're wounded and left, On Afghanistan's plains, And the women come out, To cut up your remains,Just roll on your rifle, And blow out your brains, And go to your Gawd, Like a soldier." - - Rudyard Kipling

"Few, few shall part, where many meet! The snow shall be their winding sheet, And every turf beneath their feet Shall be a soldier's sepulchre." - - Campbell

"Mark my words it will not be long before there is some signal catastrophe." - - General Keane in a private letter to a friend.

"If anything occurs, for God's sake clear the passes quickly, that I might get away." - - General Elphinstone, commander Kabul garrison

"...the whole thing was unintelligible to me." - - Lord Auckland, Governor-General, on the catastrophe he had engineered

"Take my horse and God send you may get to Jalalabad in safety." - - Wounded Indian soldier to Dr. Brydon, sole survivor of the retreat.

At least the British, 1842, HAD A SANCTUARY THEY COULD REPAIR TO!! NONE made it save one [Dr. Brydon], but there WAS a line of retreat!!

NATO FORCES IN AFGHAN, AT THIS EXACT MOMENT, ARE FINDING THEMSELVES HARD PRESSED! THAT WHOLE SITUATION COULD GO DOWN THE TUBES VERY QUICKLY.

Anyone have a good suggestion how to address the Afghan situation?

coolbert.