I am an ex forces man speaking (Royal east anglian Infantry) and alough as soldiers we are not really allowed to have opinions about the tours we are sent in to, we just have to get on with it. speaking in all honesty, I think the afghan war is very important for bringing peace to the region and also using "hearts and minds" to sway locals to join coalition forces and not give in to taliban forces.
However I also believe that the national security of England is still a serious security risk. The point that we are fighting an enemy thousands of miles away from our homeland that really does not prove to be any risk to us is very frustrating when we have terrorist cells that live no more than 500 yards away from where we live and are mixing C4 in their bathtubs. They have honest jobs such as doctors, lawyers, and the like and say good morning to you as you leave for work and seem the friendly neighbours who live next door. These are the real enemy and the biggest threat to us and they are here on our doorstep. I know we hear a lot on the news about scotland yard intercepting terrorist cells and police raiding houses, but i really don't think enough is done to protect our safety. After all a real enemy can infiltrate its target, gain trust and strike when the victim is most vulnerable. We have been very lucky so far when it comes to police raids and british terrorists being arrested before they achieve their goal, but we all must remember, its only going to be a matter of time before they do get lucky and we have another 9/11 or london tube bombing on our hands. The real enemy is here living amoung us and not thousands of miles away. I hope i do not upset anyone with this post, but unfortunatly if you agree with me or not, it is the reality of the situation.
RIP lads 
