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Last Summer Geoffrey Van Orden flew to Kandahar to meet forward units at Lashkar Gah, Camp Bastion and Camp Shorabak. Mr Van Orden was particularly concerned to see troops from units based in the East of England. He also met Afghan, American, Australian, and Bulgarian soldiers.
Commenting afterwards Mr Van Orden said that the British people should be very proud of their troops: “We should fully recognise the stark contrast between our own forces and the insurgents. While our troops are giving vital support to the Afghan people, building schools, providing water and electricity supply, opening routes to market, and taking every possible care to avoid civilian casualties in any military engagement, terrorist fanatics are engaged in the coercion and indiscriminate murder of their own population.
“An example of this was the 9-year old girl who was severely injured in a suicide bomb attack which killed 4 Afghan civilians on Sunday in the town of Musa Qaleh. She was carried into the arms of the British Army which flew her to the Field Hospital at Camp Bastion where she was given emergency treatment which saved her life. I met her father at her bedside. He expressed his deep gratitude to the British Army.
“The dedication and professionalism of British troops at all levels was an inspiration. They include both regular and reserve forces. I would like the British public to understand even more about the very worthwhile work that they are doing in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
“I came away with some very clear messages. The reconstruction effort needs even more resources and, given the security situation, it is probably the military that are best able to deliver. More combat and support troops are required. While forward troops are now well provided with good equipment, those in training need the kit as well. And too often there are delays in supplying vital spare parts for key equipments.
“While the Dutch, Danes, Estonians and Bulgarians are making a useful troop contribution, other European allies must show willingness to do more. On the political level, France has been promised much in terms of support for the misconceived EU Defence Policy in return for an additional 700 troops in Afghanistan – I am told on good authority that these “additions” merely involve transfer of a few hundred soldiers already stationed in Kabul to the relatively quiet area in the East.”
The visiting Parliamentary Delegation to Afghanistan included Field Marshal Lord Inge, General Lord Ramsbotham, Lord Lamont, Lord Selkirk, Lord Maginnis, and DUP MPs Peter Robinson and Jeffrey Donaldson. Some of Geoffrey Van Orden's Observations
Troops are doing brilliantly in very difficult, uncomfortable and dangerous circumstances. They like being on operations and morale is clearly high but they need to know that the folks back home are supporting them.
Where are we heading? We are in Afghanistan to help root out the organisers of terrorism which has direct consequences for security of the UK. Our key mission is to support Afghan civil governance at all levels. But it barely exists. Main strategic vulnerability is vacuum at Afghan central and local government levels and the situation in Pakistan.
Pakistan Pakistan is central to so many of our problems. The Taliban bosses sit in Quetta. Jihadists are indoctrinated in Pakistani madrassahs (including young Britons of Pakistani origin). Cross-border operations are run from the sanctuary of Pakistan and it is suspected that some Pakistani agencies (with or without central government blessing) provide active support. And coalition forces rely on overland routes from Pakistani ports for transit of non-combat supplies.
Muscular Aid/ "comprehensive approach" We need to consolidate tactical military gains with rapid delivery of meaningful, practical development assistance - "quick impact projects". It's become a cliché that armies cannot win counter-insurgency campaigns. This needs refining. Kinetic military action on its own will not win this campaign – the Army is the first to understand this - but it is the military that has to deliver the reconstruction effort in insecure areas. NGOs are obviously absent. DFID isn’t fit for such tasks. It's the Army that needs to do the job, probably with an expanded engineer effort.
Equipment Many of problems of previous years for frontline troops have been overcome through off-the-shelf purchases. But there are still problems in relation to spare parts; equipment for troops under training; some specialised equipment for particular tasks; shortage of helicopters and transport aircraft; and the need for more combat manoeuvre forces (this is where our European allies could do more)
UK Public Opinion Even greater effort needs to be made to ensure British people understand what we are up to and differentiate between Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the Taliban that are murdering their own people while we are desperately anxious to minimise civilian casualties and do all we can to assist the civil population - e.g. the immensely important Kajaki dam project, building schools, providing medical support to victims of suicide bombings, flying in wheat etc.
Allies European NATO allies need to sign up wholeheartedly to this campaign and do more militarily. EU needs to get away from playing politics and trying to carve out another ESDP role. |
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Geoffrey Van Orden meets troops in Helmand
