Special forces to strike at Taliban
Apparently reinforcements are being sent 'in response to intelligence'!!
Sunday Times
More than 200 SAS and SBS troops are being flown to Afghanistan this weekend to mount a search and destroy operation against the Taliban, writes Michael Smith.
The reinforcements will double the number of British special forces on the ground and commanders hope that they will be able to deal the Taliban a crippling blow.
Senior defence sources said: "We need to break the back of this offensive now in one fell swoop."
Des Browne, the defence secretary, is expected to tell MPs tomorrow that at least one additional battle group of about 700 infantry soldiers, extra transport helicopters and more ground attack aircraft are also being sent. Read more
db: Does anybody think 'one fell swoop' a little unlikely? And what about Des Browne's statement in the House of Commons just last Thursday: "We are asking our troops to go out and explain to the local people that they are there for reconstruction purposes. If the Taliban are able to relay, from discussions that take place in the United Kingdom, that that is not the case, and that we are there for some other purpose - such as hunting the Taliban ... that would put our troops in danger." - Just when you thought things couldn't get more confused ...
Sending more troops to Afghanistan was unfortunately unavoidable - given that a prudent withdrawal is not politically possible - yet. Blair is deeply in the shit - and it will probably get a lot deeper.
Mick Smith's piece above goes on to say that "The move is in response to intelligence indicating that fighting in which six British soldiers have died may be the prelude to a much larger Taliban offensive." I wonder if he had a straight face when he wrote this - the government and the generals got it all hopelessly wrong - it didn't require a forthcoming 'much larger' offensive - we were already getting creamed. I'm looking forward to reading what MS has to say in his blog - which is invariably more down to earth.
Sunday Times
More than 200 SAS and SBS troops are being flown to Afghanistan this weekend to mount a search and destroy operation against the Taliban, writes Michael Smith.
The reinforcements will double the number of British special forces on the ground and commanders hope that they will be able to deal the Taliban a crippling blow.
Senior defence sources said: "We need to break the back of this offensive now in one fell swoop."
Des Browne, the defence secretary, is expected to tell MPs tomorrow that at least one additional battle group of about 700 infantry soldiers, extra transport helicopters and more ground attack aircraft are also being sent. Read more
db: Does anybody think 'one fell swoop' a little unlikely? And what about Des Browne's statement in the House of Commons just last Thursday: "We are asking our troops to go out and explain to the local people that they are there for reconstruction purposes. If the Taliban are able to relay, from discussions that take place in the United Kingdom, that that is not the case, and that we are there for some other purpose - such as hunting the Taliban ... that would put our troops in danger." - Just when you thought things couldn't get more confused ...
Sending more troops to Afghanistan was unfortunately unavoidable - given that a prudent withdrawal is not politically possible - yet. Blair is deeply in the shit - and it will probably get a lot deeper.
Mick Smith's piece above goes on to say that "The move is in response to intelligence indicating that fighting in which six British soldiers have died may be the prelude to a much larger Taliban offensive." I wonder if he had a straight face when he wrote this - the government and the generals got it all hopelessly wrong - it didn't require a forthcoming 'much larger' offensive - we were already getting creamed. I'm looking forward to reading what MS has to say in his blog - which is invariably more down to earth.
posted by exoplanet at 12:47 AM
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