It is easy to criticise soldiers who are afraid of death or wounds, perhaps capture by the Talibans! Owing to my physical unfitness I have never been a soldier. But I descend from military ancestry since the Middle Ages, actually times immemorial, and War is in my DNA, unlike the goat-herders shepperds, merchants/Lawyers ( Obama) and drug-store keepers ( Berlusconi ) modern Democratic Republics insist in their egalitarian bulshit, in training as soldiers, a waste of money, believing they can fight and die honourably on a field of battle just because they are big dudes and have big Cro-Magnon 'cazzos ' and the girls scream for them! But I would be ready to go there anytime as a Fighting-Morale-Building-Officer if there were any such Office. Let me say something though. Italians are too intelligent, sensitive and imaginative to be good soldiers. Especially so when the Rules of Engagement written by Lawyers who have never been in actual combat are simply unrealistic and favouring the Opponents, our ideals of humanity are misplaced and a waste in relation to the barbarity of the anachronistic islamic world-vision, and the leaders are Politicians also never been in combat like Obama, Berlusconi, etc. The West is asking soldiers to fight with their hands tied behind their backs, when War is all about achieving superiority and exerting it unmercefully on the battlefield, denying the Opponents retreat, resources, quarters etc. The Talibans are illegal, irregular fighters, partisans, terrorists, hiding among the civilian population, even using this, against every civilised convention against our soldiers. They are war-criminals worse than the Nazis and the Fascists and the Samurais, who at least fought with a uniform on. The Talibans' ( terrorists/partisans) next of kin, their people are actually military resources and should be targeted, their women and children removed from the villages they use for resupply. Warnings should be given and ultimatums with time to evacuate and the mountain villages blown up when compliance is not made. Western soldiers are reacting to the stupidity and wastefulness of their plebeian, unmilitary leaders. Give the Generals total control, a blanque cheque and immunity, for God's sake before it is too late! Keep the treacherous, shortsighted ( historically and politically-wise , sensation loving and seeking, fake-emotion stirring, Reporters and Journalists out of it. Allow our soldiers to fight not to waste time and resources, including our precious soldiers' lives. Punish yellow-bellies by depriving these from civil rights and good jobs when they return.

It has been suggested that paying the Taliban to forego attacking NATO troops is not a novel technique. In fact, the de-escalation of the war in Iraq may have more to do with Sunni fighters being placed on the American payroll than the surge. If that's the case, the news that Italians paid the Taliban to spare them from their attacks, is not as serious as the headline in the British paper makes it out to be. What is serious, however, is the fact that when Italians were redeployed and the French took over the patrol duties of an area thought to be calm, they were never told of the monetary agreement between Italians and the Taliban. And of course, with the Italians gone, the Taliban found themselves no longer bound to any agreement and that made the French fair game for ambushes. The deadly bungle - costing the lives of ten French soldiers - however, seems more like a "failure to communicate" than "willfull neglect." Sure, I understand Italians angrily denying bribing the enemy but, again, the tactic may have been inaugurated by the Americans in Iraq. Now, pundits are speculating on the timing of the leak. Many are saying that the news may have been leaked to the media to further embarass ( as if it's needed) the Italian government, make Berlusconi's hold on power much more tenuous as his foreign policy (too cozy with Putin and Ghadaffi) is not aligned with American and British interests. Possible. However, right from the get go, the Italian Prime Minister did not exactly endear himself with the international community at large. His antics and free-wheeling mouth even grated right-wing politicians and conservative newspapers all over the world. He made himself persona-non-grata (Michelle stayed well back when she met him) and the tragedy is that he surrounded himself with fanatical loyal aides who worship him like a saint, boosting his narcistic mindset. I think Berlusconi has no idea to what degree democracy is important to the leaders of Western nations: he may have been elected democratically, but they cannot forget the huge conflict of interest he is in and that's a big no-no in Western democracies. Also, the fact that Berlusconi is embroiled (and in trouble) with the justice system to the high degree that he is and refuses to do the right thing by stepping down like a Western democratic leader might do is certainly winning him no friends and is alienating Italy from the big European democracies.

Che grandi cazzate! Poor Italy!