Six experts have their say on how to win in Helmand … and Gen Dannatt

Published on Sunday 19 July 2009 22:15

LET HIM DO HIS JOB THERE is, quite clearly, not enough infantry and those who are serving there are under an incredible strain and are operating under exhausting circumstances. They hardly have time to draw breath before they are back out on operations.

I despise the way the politicians are trying to keep General Dannatt quiet ... coming out and making public statements when you believe it will help those men and women under your command is an admirable quality in a leader.

There are deficiencies of equipment. The numbers of helicopters, in particular, are ridiculously low and I have no doubt this puts lives at risk. If the government does not take urgent action, many more will die unnecessarily.

&#149 Brigadier Allan Alstead is former commanding officer of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

2,000 TROOPS? SEND 20,000

HISTORICALLY, British military expeditions into Afghanistan have, without exception, ended in disaster.

There are very few people in government with any personal experience of military service, so they don't really understand what it means when they say "let's send another battalion to Afghanistan". The bottom line is that proper military operations cannot be done cheaply. They are hugely expensive financially and, sadly, in terms of human life.

We have far too few troops there. Never mind another 2,000 troops; send another 20,000. Of course, we don't have that number. But the point is, if we are not going to do it properly then we should get out.

&#149 Stuart Crawford is a former lieutenant colonel with the Royal Tank Regiment.

GET IRAQ FORCES UP TO SPEED

THE upsurge in media coverage of corteges passing through Wootton Basset has set the clock ticking towards a British withdrawal "with honour" from Afghanistan.

The fault lines these fatalities have exposed could be indicating neither this government nor the public have the stomach to persist with an indefinite commitment of blood and treasure, while present war aims are so ambitious (and woolly).

Beyond the August elections in Afghanistan, this will increase pressure on British commanders to speed up the training for the country's own forces.

Both must redouble efforts to deny Taleban influencers the opportunity to trickle back in.

&#149 Clive Fairweather is former deputy commander of the SAS.

QUICK FIX IS MORE INFANTRY

SADLY, more helicopters and armoured vehicles take time to get into operational locations, but infantry soldiers are almost immediately air-portable.

The chiefs of defence recently asked for another 2,000 infantry and their request was, shamefully, rejected. Surely this decision can be reversed. Ultimately, only Gordon Brown and his Cabinet can authorise additional resources for Afghanistan. I fully expect additional helicopters, armoured vehicles, better surveillance equipment and the like to be procured. But, right now, something can be fixed fast: additional soldiers.

Gordon Brown should give the Defence Secretary the authority to dispatch extra soldiers to Helmand immediately.

&#149 Colonel Bob Stewart led the British forces in Kosovo.

ASK ISRAELIS FOR HELP

WHAT we need is training on how to deal with roadside bombs and suicide bombers. Roadside bombs appear to be accounting for most of the casualties.

When British troops face the Taleban or al-Qaeda in open battle, they seem to be suffering very few or no casualties and killing a great many of the enemy. I would suggest that the British get help from the Israelis, who are experts in dealing with roadside bombs because of having to cope with them for so long.

I can understand the issue about helicopters and moving personnel by air but, in the end, they have to be on the ground to fight this war, which means the best way forward is dealing with roadside bombs.

&#149 David Capitanchik is the defence and foreign affairs analyst at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

WE NEED TO STRIKE FINE BALANCE

I THINK the government has now conceded there need to be more helicopters out there, but it takes time to get equipment ready.

There has to be a fine balance between protection, firepower and manoeuvrability. If you increase protection, you reduce other areas.

If we withdraw, we are basically ceding influence to the US, but then people complain about America being too dominant. We cannot have it both ways.

However, we cannot give an open-ended commitment to remaining in Afghanistan. I don't think the public would accept that.

We need to remember that our primary purpose for being there is to stop al-Qaeda and the terrorist threat to the UK.

&#149 Eric Joyce is the Labour MP for Falkirk West and a former army major.