The gift that keeps on giving

The UK defence forces face £34 billion in cuts, the state itself is snipping back in various areas (the wrong ones to be sure but still snipping) and yet still the lunatics in charge of the Ministry of Defence manage to give away £1.7 million to Uganda in the way of a gift of helmets and body armour.
Express.

DEFENCE chiefs squandered nearly £1.7million of taxpayers’ cash on helmets and body armour for the Ugandan army last year.

The equipment was handed to the African nation as a “gift”, the Ministry of Defence’s annual accounts showed yesterday.

Rank and file military personnel, many of whom face redundancy as a result of £34billion of defence cuts, will be outraged that equipment is being given away to foreign armies.

It follows complaints that the lives of British service personnel have been put at risk by a failure to deliver body armour, helicopters and other equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Other financial losses range from £5.4billion for scrapping aircraft to £2.4million for repairs after the nuclear submarine HMS Acute ran aground in a training exercise.

Another £1.7million was lost in a bizarre legal row over supply of furniture.

Yes I know that £1.7 million is just a drop in the ocean, but these days it could be the difference between some squaddie having decent gear without having to buy his own. Personally I think I could have made wholesale cuts to the nations budget, yet actually increased the money going to frontline services. Course that would mean leaving the EU, scrapping the foreign aid budget, placing a cap on council executive salaries, scrapping 90% of quango's. refusing funding for translation services, scrapping the HRA and removing foreign criminals and illegal immigrants, placing all minimum wage jobs for UK residents only and scrapping benefits for any other than mums, sick/disabled and pensioners who refuse to take them.
And that would just be in my first week as I don't believe in pushing too hard, following week I'd be taking a chainsaw to the civil service upper management (probably figuratively)
That's always been the problem with public services, they don't see what they do as being with our money, they don't have to balance budgets as there's always next year and the magic taxpayer money tree.
This needs to change.

You what????

I do not believe we can win in Afghanistan, I do not believe we should be in that barbarous place, I believe that we should have gone in to be sure, but should have wrecked the terrorist training camps and their support mechanisms from one end of the country to the other killed every terrorist we could get our hands on and simply left. We should have then kept an eye on the place and if they attempted to rebuild, do the same again (including in Pakistan) ad infinitum. As we are there, I expected that we would deal with any problems in a robust manner. I would have been wrong of course.

Telegraph.

British soldiers who spot Taliban fighters planting roadside bombs are told not to shoot them because they do not pose an immediate threat, the Ministry of Defence has admitted.

They are instead being ordered to just observe insurgents and record their position to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.

The controversial policy emerged at an inquest into the death of Sgt Peter Rayner, 34, a soldier from the 2nd Batallion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment who was killed in October last year by an improvised explosive device as he led a patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Wendy Rayner, 40, disclosed that in the days leading up to his death her husband been told that it was not his job to attack insurgents laying bombs.

Mrs Rayner, who lives with their young son in Bradford, told the inquest that the insurgents were being allowed to get away with the murder of British troops.

She said: “They are not allowed to fire on these terrorists. If they can see people leaving these IEDs, why can’t they take them out? One officer even told him 'I am an army Captain and you will do your job'.
"We have lost too many men out there, they had seen people planting IEDs yet could not open fire or make contact with them. I believe strongly if people had taken on board what he was saying more he might have been here today.” 
Under the Geneva Convention and the nationally administered Rules of Engagement the 9,500 British troops in Afghanistan are told they can only attack if there is an immediate threat to life.

I would have said that planting an IED would have been an immediate threat to life as the next person past it would have been killed or maimed. Besides, these people need to learn if they do this sort of thing, there are consequences and the terrorists there certainly do not follow the Geneva Convention and the nationally administered Rules of Engagement so neither should we. They will kill our troops given any opportunity, the only thing they really understand is strength and we appear to be anything but strong. No, I'm not advocating random violence nor reprisals, though I do believe there might be a case for reprisals but anyone seen planting a bomb should simply be shot pour encourager les autres, to coin a phrase.
Our troops have a hard enough job on their hands as it is, our idiotic politicians, the U.N. and the Ministry of defence have hobbled them and tied one hand behind their backs by insisting on civilised rules for dealing with barbarians.
Either let loose the dogs of war or leave, what we are doing now will never work in a million years.

Interference

Soldiers and other military forces have a difficult job to do whilst they are in action, sometimes decisions have to be made on the spur of the moment which can often have fatal consequences, either for the troops or those they oppose. One thing they should at least have confidence in is that they will receive the benefit of the doubt and be judged from a military standpoint over such decisions, rather than by rules primarily designed to be applied to civilians.
Telegraph.

British troops accused of unlawfully killing civilians in Iraq breached human rights laws by failing to properly investigate their deaths, European judges ruled yesterday. 

Judges concluded that the actions of British soldiers in Iraq were covered by Europe’s human rights convention during the time they were responsible for the security of parts of the country.

The landmark judgment by the European Court of Human Rights overturns a ruling by the House of Lords in 2007 that there was no such human rights jurisdiction surrounding the deaths of five civilians, because it was outside of the UK’s borders.

The Government must now pay tens of thousands of pounds in damages to the relatives of the five and lawyers last night warned the “monumental” ruling could lead to a flood of claims over the treatment of Iraqis by British troops.

The decision will also further fuel concerns over the influence of European judges on rulings made by the UK domestic courts.

Yes again it's that damned European Court of Human Rights again interfering in how we go about the business of  running things our way. Despite the fact that these cases weren't in Europe, despite the case that what the military do should be held to a differing standard, the ECHR has again stepped in cost us a fortune, opened the gates to a flood of claims and put our troops lives at risk as they may now be in danger of hesitating by fearing an ECHR reprisal.
The ECHR should have no say whatsoever on the lives of any UK citizen, though that has never stopped them in the past, they especially should have no say in the conduct of our military, that's in the domain of military courts and military justice, not civil justice.
For the life of me I cannot understand why our politicians signed us up to this abominable court? It persistently interferes in the daily life of of this land, overturning decisions made under UK laws designed for UK citizens, businesses and institutions. The only thing it seems good for is keeping lawyers well fed from the money they make out of it.
Still, I maintain, no foreign court should ever have jurisdiction over UK military forces, not now, not ever!

A kick in the teeth

The government recently passed the Military Covenant into law and the Tories always like to present themselves as the party that looks after the armed forces, despite the fact that a close examination of what they say and what they do not matching up by any means.
So this comes as no surprise.

BBC.

Thousands of members of the Parachute Regiment and others could lose special payments for their parachuting skills, under MoD cost-cutting plans.

The Army may cut the number of troops trained to parachute in 16 Air Assault Brigade, lowering the number who qualify for the £180-a-month bonus.

The move would involve a 10% pay cut for the lowest-paid privates.

The MoD said most of the brigade's soldiers would remain fully trained to parachute.

However, it insisted no decisions had yet been taken on the extent of the changes

Currently almost 5,000 parachute-trained members of the armed forces receive the special supplement of nearly £6 a day in recognition of the extra risks and skills involved in parachuting.

The Daily Telegraph reported that cutting the so-called Para Pay bonus would save millions of pounds a year.

Save millions whilst wrecking the morale of one of our top regiments, sounds about right for the idiots who run this country to consider now doesn't it? However I suspect this is just a sound bite to see how the public will react and as seems usual for the political establishment of making things appear to be a lot worse than they are and when they come out with a much milder cut everyone will heave a sigh of relief, save only that it will still be a cut.
Our military deserve the best we can give them whilst they fight in a war they really can't win with equipment that's often enough unfit for purpose, often enough individual squaddies buy their own boots and personal gear. Meanwhile back in the MOD they're happy enough to squander taxpayers money on £1000 chairs, helicopters that don't work in bad weather and two aircraft carriers that won't have the fleet support vessels or aircraft.
Scrapping the MOD and starting from scratch would seem to be a far more cost effective solution to the treatment of our forces.

English Heroes #9

An occasional series recording Englishmen, women and children who have done great things for themselves or others and reflected well on the country of their birth.

Step forward Private Daniel Hellings (19) from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, of the Mercian Regiment.

Telegraph.

He was on patrol with Afghan soldiers in Helmand, southern Afghanistan, on September 7 last year when a bomb went off in the 10ft-wide alleyway in a village near their base.

Two troops were injured in the initial blast, one blinded and the second with severe leg wounds, and a third was wounded when he triggered another bomb just yards from Pte Hellings.

Pte Hellings was ordered to withdraw from the alley by his commander but the young soldier realised there was no time to find an alternative route to recover the casualties and volunteered to return to the task.

With his metal detector rendered all but useless because so much metallic debris lay on the ground, he carried out an hour-long fingertip search for further IEDs. 

One hidden bomb he found had wires stretching the width of the alley, which would normally have prevented him going any further. But Pte Hellings knew that his injured comrades would almost certainly die if he waited for a bomb disposal team.

He disregarded the danger to himself and continued clearing the ground around the IEDs so he could reach the three casualties, giving them life-saving first aid and helping to evacuate them.

Pte Hellings, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, of the Mercian Regiment, was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

His citation said he "demonstrated a level of courage and ability far beyond that which could be expected of his age, rank and experience".

 A brave man and an example to those who put down the youth of today as being feckless wasters.
Daniel Hellings this blog salutes you, this country needs more fine people like you who are prepared to put your life on the line for your friends and country, you are a true Englishman.

It's Tommy this and Tommy that...

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

You may not agree with our soldiers fighting in Afghanistan,you may believe that Iraq was an illegal war (it wasn't, Parliament decides legality not the people and Parliament decided it was legal) But the courage of our soldiers is not open to any form of disagreement.

Mail.

In an extraordinary show of courage, British soldiers are making themselves deliberate targets to flush out a Taliban sniper who is terrorising a base in Helmand.

Two snipers have killed two soldiers and injured six more over the past four months at the outpost in Qadrat. One marksman has been killed but the second is still resisting attempts to trap him.

Now, soldiers from the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment are volunteering to present themselves as targets.

Lieut Jamie MacDonald, 24, the commander of the base, has himself set up vehicle check points to try and draw out the sniper.

He said he would not expose his men to a danger he would not face himself: He told The Daily Telegraph: 'I've done it a couple of times. I don't ever sit still, I just keep moving.'

Lieut MacDonald said that the sniper currently opens fire on every patrol heading north. The lieutenant has twice come close to being shot when rounds have narrowly missed his head or body. Soldiers have returned to base with bullet holes in their armour and backpacks.

The lengths these brave men and women are prepared to go to for their comrades in arms and their duty to their regiments defies description save only that as the Mail says, they are "The bravest of the Brave"  They rise time and time again over their shameful treatment by successive governments and their Ministry of Defence, their courage shames politicians, bureaucrats and those who would call them murderers and rapists when they march home from doing their duty.

Perhaps it is time to bring them home, perhaps it's time to bring them home to clean house from the scum who shame this nation by their antics in insult or denying them the tools to do their job.

Words cannot express my horror at our young people putting their lives on the line to do this, words cannot express my pride in their courage.

It's a record

And it's not the sort of record most of us are ever likely to try and beat.

Telegraph.

British Army bomb disposal experts have made safe a record number of improvised explosive devices for a single operation on their current tour of Afghanistan.
Some 12 IEDs were found within 300 metres of each other on a route known as Bandi Barq Road in the Gereshk area of Helmand province.
The high-risk clearance operation found the devices, which ranged in size from 5-15kg and were targeted at vehicles and troops on foot.
All 12 were cleared by Warrant Officer Class 2 Iain Martin, Royal Logistic Corps.
The 39-year-old from Craigiehall, Edinburgh, said: ''This was a huge variety of IEDs, all within a short distance, and represented a real challenge for us.
''Our reward came when we had finished and an Afghan family came up on to the road with their herd of goats, looking around like they hadn't trodden on the land in years.
''The local people have confidence in us and our work to improve their lives, and that's a great feeling.''
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Davis GM, Commanding Officer of the Counter-IED Task Force, added that the bravery of his bomb disposal teams ''never fails to amaze me''.
''We know we are having a positive effect, not just for our own troops but also for local Afghans who approach us and express their gratitude for the UK troops helping to make their lives more bearable,'' he said.

Quite an achievement and very brave men. Whatever you think about why our troops are in Afghanistan, shouldn't detract form their bravery and compassion. These aren't the actions of "child killers and murderers" as some sections of society would name them, nor are they imperialists fighting an illegal war (it can't be illegal if our parliament says it is legal, think about it) Just brave men and women doing a job in a country where they probably shouldn't be. Yes I believe they should come home, no I don't believe that the situation there will improve any though they do some good against the Taliban and religious extremists there who treat anyone other than men in their tribes as less than human. Yes women can now be educated and perhaps live better lives, but I don't believe it's a war we can win. Sooner or later we'll leave and the Pathan (and other) tribes will go back to killing each other, it's what they do best. I doubt we'll see Afghan warriors in this country any time soon, unless it's Luton. Periodically we may have to go back in and destroy terrorist training camps, but that doesn't mean we need to keep troops there, just have the strike capability to do so.
Still for what it's worth, these guys and the rest of our Army there are mostly doing good work and I salute them for it, these guys saved lives by their actions and deserve thanks far more than this blog can give or even the Daily Telegraph. Yet I can't help but think that God forbid that any one of them should be killed or injured doing what they do it would have been worth our while being there.

 

Of rats and sinking ships

The two Royal navy carriers are a controversial subject, conceived as a jobs for the (Scottish) boys in the Rosyth yards after Gordon Brown came face to face with the fact that people knew he'd skimped on the military budget. Set up as a potential vote winner (and it worked) it was also tied into Labours scorched earth policy as they knew that in England they were going to be hammered, so they spread the few goodies around their core areas and tied the contracts down with penalty clauses so the next government could not (legally) afford to get out of them.
The fiasco's got greater of course, turned out the carriers weren't going to get any planes for them till 2020 and that we were going to have to share them with the French.
Finally today, Lord Hesketh, they guy second in charge of the project finally had enough and quit.

BBC.

The deputy chairman of Babcock, Lord Hesketh, has resigned after he called the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier programme a "disaster".

His resignation from the engineering group follows a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper in which he was reported as saying the project would make the country a "laughing stock".

Babcock is building the carriers at its shipyard in Rosyth.

Earlier on Monday it issued a statement distancing itself from the report.

Last month's defence review revealed that £5.2bn would be spent on two new carriers

For three years there will be only one aircraft carrier, in any case, the planes being built for the vessels will not be ready until 2020.

Lord Hesketh's resignation takes place with immediate effect.

He has been non-executive deputy chairman of Babcock since 1996 and a non-executive director since 1993.

This whole sorry shambles should be enough to hold over Labour's competence to govern us for the next several decades (though how soon fools forget) Not only are they going to be white elephants till 2020, they had to get rid of the various support ships necessary to protect them in order to be able to afford them.
Still at least some Scottish shipbuilders got some jobs courtesy of Gordon Brown...

It's enough to make you weep the mess Labour has left this country in.

Removing our deterrent

The UK is a nuclear power, some people don't like this, however that's the way it is even if we did keep our nukes safely under lock and key away with a bicycle lock. Part of this means that we have nuclear submarines patrolling unseen and undetected around areas we see as threats or assets (Yes Argies if you fancy another Belgrano incident come and have a go) Now there is some dispute as to whether or not the nukes we have are actually under American control (as in we can't fire one without their permission) but the subs themselves aren't, nor are they under EU control as yet, though that may be about to change.

Guardian.

France has offered to create a joint UK-French nuclear deterrent by sharing submarine patrols, the Guardian has learned.
Officials from both countries have discussed how a deterrence-sharing scheme might work but Britain has so far opposed the idea on the grounds that such pooling of sovereignty would be politically unacceptable.
In a speech this morning in London, Gordon Brown said he had agreed to further nuclear co-operation with France last week after talks with Nicolas Sarkozy. The prime minister did not comment explicitly about submarines, saying only that the UK and France would both retain "our independent nuclear deterrent".
Britain and France each maintain "continuous at-sea deterrence", which involves running at least one nuclear-armed submarine submerged and undetected at any given time. It is a hugely expensive undertaking, and its usefulness in a post-cold war world has long been questioned by disarmament campaigners.

Yes it's expensive, but, considering the fact that many countries out there are developing a nuclear option probably necessary. As even if they manage to  disable or take out a land target, they'll never know where or when our revenge will come from, that's the whole point of deterrence. Yet if we share patrols we also agree to take on the interests of the French, whose interests are not and have not ever been in ours. We may share common ground, but we certainly don't have the same world view or same purpose in government. This would leave us having to consult or perhaps get permission to use our forces in our best interests, which may not be in the interests of our EU neighbours, certainly wasn't during the last Falklands war when the Belgians refused to supply us with ammo.
Personally I think all our military needs should be produced here and under our control, even if made under license, certainly at least the ammo. We should however remove the military procurement regime from the MOD, if we need to buy, let us get the best value for money, if it means buying from abroad (helicopters and the like) see if we can build here under license, but get it here, train our people again in manufacture and keep the EU at arms length on the one part of our sovereignty that allows us to defend ourselves.