Road Warriors

[TSR2]

just been watching bits of this program on ITV (just channel hopping) and its seems to be an RLC convoy in Afghanistan.... how the hell do they not have a GPS system or secure satilite phones? 3 Vehicles have just taken a wrong turn in the dark and one has gone into a cannal because they can't see th route in the dark and they cant radio for help as they aren't in range!!! What sort of equipment are our guys having to use out there! Appauled!

[Nigel H-J]

Now that is disgusting!! Had heard that Sir Kevin Tebbit stated at the Iraq Inquiry that a £1 billion cash axe forced him to reduce troop numbers helicopters and other badly needed kit in Iraq so I suppose the same shortages applies to Afganistan as well!!

Butcher Brown has a lot to answer for!!

Nigel.

[TSR2]

To be fair, Iraq and Afghanistain was all Tony, he should be hung up for that. Whats disqusting is that something as basic as a personal GPS can be bought for under £100. I appreciate that the GPS satelites are probably configured not to send data in such areas, but in this day and age surely the military have access to Secure Channel GPS?

[Filonian]

To be fair, Iraq and Afghanistain was all Tony, he should be hung up for that. Whats disqusting is that something as basic as a personal GPS can be bought for under £100. I appreciate that the GPS satelites are probably configured not to send data in such areas, but in this day and age surely the military have access to Secure Channel GPS?

But Mr. I'm just getting on with the job Brown held the purse strings.

Graham

[TSR2]

I don't think Brown is a great PM, by any stretch, and I will be glad of a change, but to hang him for GW2 and Afghanistan is wrong. Nobody on the cabinet stood up to Blair, not just Brown and he (Blair) would have known exactly how much of the purse was there. The responsibility for these two actions lies with the PM at the time.

[Filonian]

Oh, you mean Tont B-liar Ben.

Not trying to pick an argument mate, just expressing my opinion.

The whole lot of 'em actually want sending to the front line with exactly the same kit as our lads and lasses.

I know my lad had to buy a shed load of his own gear when he went out.

Graham

[TSR2]

Yes mate... fully agree

[Nigel H-J]

Hi Ben, appreciate in what you are saying regarding Tony Blair being responsible for agreeing to send our troops into Iraq and Afganistan but as you acknowledged, Brown was the holder of the purse strings at the time and therefore in my view he should be held to account over this. We have lost many good service personnel over there with some lives being lost due to inadequate protection and not the right equipment for the area purely through budget controls.

Sorry, not an argument as such but just how I feel about the whole thing, in my view the war was illegal, our occupation of Afganistan is questionable and above all it is going to have a very serious impact on our defence budget for the future and also has made the world very much more at risk through extremist elements.

Nigel.

[TSR2]

I agree mate, but there are a whole cabinet who make these decisions, even from a finance point of view they would all have been asked for there vote, and as I recall There were only two ministers who opposed it. I don't think that if Mr. Brown had been PM we would be in this situation.