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Pressure grows on Govt as Afghan casualties mount
The mother of Private Richard Hunt, the 200th British soldier to die in Afghanistan, demands that politicians take to the front lines
Last month was the bloodiest in the entire eight-year campaign in Afghanistan for British forces, as 94 soldiers were injured in Helmand province, 19 of them seriously, and 22 died. It is the highest single monthly total for both counts, with deaths up by 500 per cent on the previous month (and the same month last year) and casualties doubling month on month.
The figures for July were high because the British Army was taking part in Operation Panthers Claw, which was aimed at flushing the Taliban out of Helmand province ahead of this week's elections, and Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, maintained yesterday that the war in Afghanistan remained "winnable". He also claimed that: "We can get this country to a place where they are able to protect their own security and prevent the Taliban's return."
However ministers are concerned that a growing backlash is developing against British military involvement in the central Asian country. The 'landmark death' at the weekend of Richard Hunt (above right), the 200th soldier to die in the combat zone, has provided opponents of the war with a focal point for their opposition.
Hazel Hunt, the mother of Private Hunt, who died on Saturday in Selly Oak military hospital after being injured in a bomb blast while on patrol near Musa Qaleh in Helmand last week, accused the Government of not backing the forces on the ground with equipment and more manpower.
"The Army has been short-changed and the troops are suffering because of it. But the politicians are not listening to the troops on the ground - they haven't got a clue what it's really like," Mrs Hunt told reporters at her home in Abergavenny, Wales. "They've got to find more resources, better equipment and make sure there's enough of it. They should get off their backsides and see what it's like for our boys out there ''
The Ministry of Defence claims that the Taliban's shifting tactics are to blame for the increase in casualties, saying that attacks in Sangin such as that which killed Sergeant Simon Valentine (above left) on Saturday, showed "the Taliban are inevitably moving to areas where they are under less pressure" after Panthers Claw dislodged them from central Helmand. ·
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In any war where conscription is required, the first soldiers to be conscripted should be the sons and daughters of the MP's who vote for the war.
Where conscription isn't required there should be a process of decimation. MP's who vote for the war and who have children old enough to fight would throw their kids name in a hat, or better still a helmet, and every tenth MP's child pulled from the helmet would be sent to the front line. Having said that, this transgresses on the rights of MP's children, not that they would care. Politicians always have been more than happy to sign up to mass murder providing it's not them doing the suffering.
Agree with Hazel Hunt, if the ministers are so sure British troops have everything they need why shouldn't they spend a couple of weeks patrolling with them - they would obviously be quite safe!