The British commander of the SAS (Special Air Service) in Afghanistan has up and quit because he blames the British government for stiffing his troops on decent equipment and when four of his men died after their vehicle hit a landmine, Major Sebastian Morley submitted his resignation letter.
Here's some of the details from Breitbart:
Now, the U.S. had some of these same issues in Iraq early on in the War there until vehicles got reequipped with more armor and some design changes were made but the problem has been going on in Afghanistan for longer. It's been well documented how NATO countries are back pedaling on sending more troops to Afghanistan but what hasn't made much press is the sorry state of the equipment in this war. It's not just under-armored vehicles...it's AH-64 helicopters that aren't getting the necessary replacement parts and maintenance. Let's face the facts, the Europeans have struggled to keep focused on this war and to try and get approval at home to spend millions and millions on new military equipment for the effort has been tough - not tough because the need isn't there or the cause just, but because the NATO leaders in those lands are not showing leadership.
Here's some of the details from Breitbart:
The head of Britain's special forces in Afghanistan has resigned, it emerged Saturday, reportedly in disgust at equipment failures that he believes led to the death of four of his troops.
Major Sebastian Morley, commander of SAS (Special Air Service) troops in Afghanistan, accused the government of "chronic underinvestment" in equipment in his resignation letter, The Daily Telegraph reported.
He had repeatedly warned that people would be killed if military commanders and government officials continued to allow troops to be transported in the lightly armoured Snatch Land Rover vehicles, it said.
Four of his soldiers died in June when their Snatch Land Rover hit a landmine in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Morley believes they died needlessly, the newspaper said.
A defence source confirmed Morley had resigned, but stressed there were also "personal reasons" for his decision.
The Daily Telegraph reported one soldier who served with Morley as saying his commanding officers had tried "everything in their power to stop us using Snatch" but the Ministry of Defence had failed to act.
Now, the U.S. had some of these same issues in Iraq early on in the War there until vehicles got reequipped with more armor and some design changes were made but the problem has been going on in Afghanistan for longer. It's been well documented how NATO countries are back pedaling on sending more troops to Afghanistan but what hasn't made much press is the sorry state of the equipment in this war. It's not just under-armored vehicles...it's AH-64 helicopters that aren't getting the necessary replacement parts and maintenance. Let's face the facts, the Europeans have struggled to keep focused on this war and to try and get approval at home to spend millions and millions on new military equipment for the effort has been tough - not tough because the need isn't there or the cause just, but because the NATO leaders in those lands are not showing leadership.
SAS chief in Afghanistan quits in equipment row: report
The head of Britain's special forces in Afghanistan has resigned, it emerged Saturday, reportedly in disgust at equipment failures that he believes led to the death of four of his troops.
Major Sebastian Morley, commander of SAS (Special Air Service) troops in Afghanistan, accused the government of "chronic underinvestment" in equipment in his resignation letter, The Daily Telegraph reported.
He had repeatedly warned that people would be killed if military commanders and government officials continued to allow troops to be transported in the lightly armoured Snatch Land Rover vehicles, it said.
Four of his soldiers died in June when their Snatch Land Rover hit a landmine in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Morley believes they died needlessly, the newspaper said.
A defence source confirmed Morley had resigned, but stressed there were also "personal reasons" for his decision.
The Daily Telegraph reported one soldier who served with Morley as saying his commanding officers had tried "everything in their power to stop us using Snatch" but the Ministry of Defence had failed to act.
The ministry responded: "Equipping our personnel is a clear priority and we are absolutely focused on providing them with a range of vehicles that will protect them from the ever-shifting threats posed by the enemy."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Wednesday that Britain would buy up to 700 new and upgraded armoured vehicles to protect its forces in Afghanistan, spending about 700 million pounds (1.13 billion dollars, 880 million euros).
Britain has about 7,800 troops serving in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operating in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has mounted growing attacks in recent months.
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