http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2008/01/19/ntroops119.xml
Kit shortages put troops' lives at risk
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:54am GMT 19/01/2008
Thousands of troops had their lives endangered when they were sent to Afghanistan without essential equipment due to Government dithering, a damning report obtained by The Daily Telegraph shows.
Have Your Say: Why is the Government so reckless with troops' lives?
Frontline: Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
The revelation is contained in a document which forms part of the Board of Inquiry report into the death of paratrooper Capt James Philippson of 7 Para, Royal Horse Artillery, which it partially blames on shortages of vital kit including night vision goggles and machine guns.
Appeals for supplies to fight the Taliban were ignored because politicians were afraid of committing money to an operation that might not proceed, the report discloses.
In a repeat of the kit failures that led to lives being lost in Iraq, the document says troops were sent to the most dangerous province in Afghanistan without enough body armour.
Despite being the first British forces to enter the lawless Helmand province in April 2006, the paratroopers of 16 Air Assault Brigade also went into battle without vital kit such as heavy machine guns, night vision goggles and ballistic matting for Land Rovers. The report says Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) were not processed because Whitehall dithered over sanctioning the operation.
More on the link
Kit shortages put troops' lives at risk
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:54am GMT 19/01/2008
Thousands of troops had their lives endangered when they were sent to Afghanistan without essential equipment due to Government dithering, a damning report obtained by The Daily Telegraph shows.
Have Your Say: Why is the Government so reckless with troops' lives?
Frontline: Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
The revelation is contained in a document which forms part of the Board of Inquiry report into the death of paratrooper Capt James Philippson of 7 Para, Royal Horse Artillery, which it partially blames on shortages of vital kit including night vision goggles and machine guns.
Appeals for supplies to fight the Taliban were ignored because politicians were afraid of committing money to an operation that might not proceed, the report discloses.
In a repeat of the kit failures that led to lives being lost in Iraq, the document says troops were sent to the most dangerous province in Afghanistan without enough body armour.
Despite being the first British forces to enter the lawless Helmand province in April 2006, the paratroopers of 16 Air Assault Brigade also went into battle without vital kit such as heavy machine guns, night vision goggles and ballistic matting for Land Rovers. The report says Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) were not processed because Whitehall dithered over sanctioning the operation.
More on the link