Are the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan linked?

Hello there. I have selection for the British Army in a couple of months and an important factor, we've been told, is to brush up on our current affairs. I have started reading the boradsheets every day, but obviously I need to know how these things began too.





What is the purpose of these two wars and are they linked? Also, what relevance is the current problem between Kurds and Turks, how would this affect Britain?





I'd be grateful of any help, thank you.





Also, what is a good way of finding out who is in change of the major powers (US, Germany, France, Russia etc), their parties, what their policies are and what they represent?





Thanks.

Are the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan linked?
For the past twenty-thirty years, the forces of radical Islam have been at war with the rest of the world. This hidden war was ignored until 9/11 and the subsequent retaliation (pushed for by the US).





Iraq and Afghanistan are two fronts on the same war. Afghanistan was a major base of operations for Osama Bin Laden, and Iraq is (in essence) a lynchpin that holds the Islamic middle east together. If Iraq becomes a stable democracy, Islamic totalitarian governments that surround it will eventually crumble and become democracies as well, so goes the theory. Or, at the absolute least, they'll stop suicide bombing London and slitting throats in Paris.
Reply:T.W.A.T.





The War On Terror!
Reply:firstly, the wars in iraq and afghanistan are linked. afghanistan was fought against the taliban and osama a direct result from 9/11. iraq was fought against weapons of mass destruction and al quedas influence in iraq. thats what they said. however you maybe aware that both these countries border iran. thus would be ideal for attacking iran and used as military base. think ww1 and ww2 the allies have always used a two front war and won





2. kurdish rebels have used kurdistan (which has a province in turkey and is northen iraq also) as a base for the P.K.K who are turkish seperatists seeking a homeland i.e. home rule (similar to the i.r.a.' s struggle). turkey will go into northern iraq and is planning to do so very shortly. check out sky news for this. britain will be drawn in to this as it will destabilise the area and possibly have to bring sanctions against turkey and oppose its e.u. entry bid





3. george bush - usa - republican, right wing (similar to tories)


mrs. angela merkel - germany - left wing ( socialist think old labour)


anti war





mr. nicholas sarkozy - france - socialist anti war but wants to improve usa and french relations





mr Putin - russia - supports a return of russias strength ex-kgb but is undisbuted leader of russia under a democratic quise. he will do anything to oppose western influence in the middle east. he wants to make russia strong again militarily. he has resumed long range b-52 flights over british/nato are space recently. see sky news on this
Reply:Don't think so.


Different states different problems.


Luke 21.21, 22-24


What do you think?
Reply:Only in the minds of Americans....No link in reality
Reply:Both on terror
Reply:it is not difficult at all to see why you have signed up to be a target,,,, first thing you need to know is none of this concerns you ,,,your job is to obey orders and kill people when told,,, if you should be shot then you are expected to die quitely as the army does not like casualties; they cost too much manpower to care for
Reply:i think they are. iraq supposidly to find 'weopons of mass destruction' which they fear may be used for terrorism (which saddam was meant to be funding) and afghanistan to fight terrorism (alqueda) and find osama bin laden. i would consider that to be linked but i understand other poeples points
Reply:There are some good answers here but i spotted an error in one:





President Sarkozy (of France) is NOT socialist. He ran against a socialist in the recent election but his party the UMP is centre-right.





In other words he is a conservative, but still quite liberal.
Reply:both countries have puppet regimes in place just how the americans like it, they might as well be one big US airforce base !