Remarkable pictures on BBC TV News of British troops carrying out night operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The bravery displayed by our soldiers is deeply impressive, and is matched by the courage of the BBC correspondent, Alastair Leithead, and his crew, who are with them in the thick of the fighting.
Afghanistan is a dreadful and particularly hostile theatre of conflict and there can be little doubt that we are in it for the long haul. Earlier this week, the new British ambassador to Kabul, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, gave an interview to the Today programme in which he warned that British involvement there is likely to last decades.
The British diplomatic presence in the country, too, is being stepped up and the embassy staff will soon exceed the complement based in Washington.
The Taliban is a vicious and ruthless fighting force and there have been many British casualties, including a number of Royal Welsh, who were wounded in an ambush some weeks ago. However, the majority of Afghans remember the appalling period when the Taliban ran the country and, according to the ambassador, want us to stay there.
If we are to stay, then we must make sure that we have enough troops on the ground to do the job properly. They must also be properly equipped. The Telegraph reported last week that our forces are operating in the country with shockingly inadequate resources, to the extent that one British garrison was down to its last 200 mortar rounds, because there were no helicopters available to resupply it, and vehicle shortages were such that we had to borrow a Unimog truck from the tiny Estonian contingent.
Last October, Tony Blair promised: “If commanders on the ground want more equipment - armoured vehicles, for example, more helicopters - that will be provided. Whatever package they want, we will do."
Tony Blair very obviously didn’t deliver on his promise. If Gordon Brown wants to show the country that he is going to be a different type of Prime Minister from Blair (which would seem to be the case, if last night’s BBC interview is anything to go by), then one of the first things he should do is make sure that our troops get the kit they need to do the dangerous but important task that is being asked of them.
Afghanistan is a dreadful and particularly hostile theatre of conflict and there can be little doubt that we are in it for the long haul. Earlier this week, the new British ambassador to Kabul, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, gave an interview to the Today programme in which he warned that British involvement there is likely to last decades.
The British diplomatic presence in the country, too, is being stepped up and the embassy staff will soon exceed the complement based in Washington.
The Taliban is a vicious and ruthless fighting force and there have been many British casualties, including a number of Royal Welsh, who were wounded in an ambush some weeks ago. However, the majority of Afghans remember the appalling period when the Taliban ran the country and, according to the ambassador, want us to stay there.
If we are to stay, then we must make sure that we have enough troops on the ground to do the job properly. They must also be properly equipped. The Telegraph reported last week that our forces are operating in the country with shockingly inadequate resources, to the extent that one British garrison was down to its last 200 mortar rounds, because there were no helicopters available to resupply it, and vehicle shortages were such that we had to borrow a Unimog truck from the tiny Estonian contingent.
Last October, Tony Blair promised: “If commanders on the ground want more equipment - armoured vehicles, for example, more helicopters - that will be provided. Whatever package they want, we will do."
Tony Blair very obviously didn’t deliver on his promise. If Gordon Brown wants to show the country that he is going to be a different type of Prime Minister from Blair (which would seem to be the case, if last night’s BBC interview is anything to go by), then one of the first things he should do is make sure that our troops get the kit they need to do the dangerous but important task that is being asked of them.
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