We're neck deep in the Big Muddy and the damn fools keep yelling to push on!.

Knee deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on
Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on
Waist deep! Neck deep! we'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damn fools keep yelling to push on!

This is the last verse of the Pete Seeger song (full verses here) which was considered symbolic of the Vietnam War and President Lyndon Johnson's policy of escalation, then widely seen as pushing the United States deeper into the increasingly unpopular war. Seeger often performed the song at concerts and rallies,

I was reminded of this from the report Today that secret US files have revealed

That coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have soared and Nato commanders fear neighbouring Pakistan and Iran are fuelling the insurgency.

The war logs also detail:

• How a secret "black" unit of special forces hunts down Taliban leaders for "kill or capture" without trial.

• How the US covered up evidence that the Taliban have acquired deadly surface-to-air missiles.

• How the coalition is increasingly using deadly Reaper drones to hunt and kill Taliban targets by remote control from a base in Nevada.

• How the Taliban have caused growing carnage with a massive escalation of their roadside bombing campaign, which has killed more than 2,000 civilians to date..

What the US military learned from Vietnam was the management of information to reflect themselves in the best possible light is important in order to prevent opposition to the war growing at home. The UK has followed suite and it appears the Military Press Officers are very media aware these days to the extent the civilian press simply goes along with their statements without question.

And yet perhaps the strange thing is how the media seem to be surprised at these disclosures? True the policy of embedding reporters with the military has restricted press freedom, but are they really that blind to the reality around them?

If you listen to the BBC you often get the impression that we are close to defeating the Taliban such propaganda was all well during the second World.War to keep up morale but to deceive the people in this conflict is inexcusable.

What ever happen in Afghanistan whether the Coalition forces leave now, in 5 years or 20 years, the country will probably be at civil war immediately after , but our continuing presence is making the situation worse because it is increasing Anti-US/UK .support through the middle east.

There are  no "Green Shoots of Democracy " in Afghanistan or Iraq  for that matter  the latter too will engafe in civil war after the "coalition leave". What we have is a monumental mess which both politicians and media in both the USA and UK haven’t the courage to admit to it.