Soldiers' lives thrown away by politicians, Clegg claims

Published on Thursday 9 July 2009 22:00

LIBERAL Democrat leader Nick Clegg yesterday called for a change of strategy in Afghanistan as he warned that soldiers' lives were being "thrown away" by politicians.

Amid growing concern about the rising British death toll in the conflict, he said troops were being set an impossible task.

Not only were they lacking in equipment and manpower, Mr Clegg claimed, there was no co-ordinated international political action to underpin military efforts. His intervention follows the deaths of seven British soldiers in seven days.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth acknowledged on Wednesday that there was "gloom and worry" about the fatalities and also admitted "more lives will be lost".

Mr Clegg said recent events made him question the cross-party consensus on Afghanistan for the first time. "I am concerned we are simply not giving our troops the means to do their difficult job," he said. "We must not will the ends without being prepared to will the means."

He said two of the recent British fatalities died while travelling in a vehicle "unable to withstand a roadside bomb".

"I am appalled that so many of our soldiers have been killed because of inadequate equipment, and disturbed to hear from experts that we don't have enough forces to hold and rebuild territory once it has been won," he said.

A total of 176 British service personnel have died in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001. There are about 8,300 British troops in the country.

Mr Clegg went on to insist that a co-ordinated political strategy was essential to run alongside the military campaign.

"Britain's lukewarm support for European co-operation in defence and security planning has contributed to the fragmented nature of operations," he said. "Our soldiers' lives are put at risk because our politicians won't get their act together."

However, the head of British forces in southern Afghanistan later insisted that his troops were winning the battle against the Taleban.

Addressing journalists in Helmand's provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, Brigadier Tim Radford said: "Yesterday I was on the ground in the Green Zone with my own soldiers and their brothers from the Afghan National Army. I was humbled by the experience. They are fighting with extraordinary skill and courage.

"Their morale and dedication are high, and that is because, hour by hour and day by day, they can feel they are winning."

About 3,000 British troops are currently involved in Operation Panchai Palang, aimed at clearing insurgents out of the central Helmand river valley ahead of next month's Afghan elections.

Trooper was aiming for place in 2012 Olympics

A YOUNG British soldier killed in Afghanistan had hoped to compete in the 2012 Olympics, his comrades said yesterday.

Trooper Christopher Whiteside, 20, of The Light Dragoons, died in a roadside blast near Gereshk in Helmand province on Tuesday. He was the seventh UK serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan in as many days.

Trooper Whiteside was a talented swordsman who had hoped to train for a place in the GB fencing team for the 2012 Olympics in London on his return from Afghanistan.

Known to his friends as "Norm" after former Manchester United footballer Norman Whiteside, the soldier was taking part in Operation Panther's Claw. His commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Gus Fair, described him as hard-working, selfless and "blessed with a great sense of humour".

Lt-Col Fair said: "Norm had been tested in some of the most intense fighting ever experienced in Afghanistan for four days prior to his death and had never been found wanting."