New Games

Mr Blair is due to appear before the "enquiry"


He's BUSY, BUSY BUSY rehearsing (as in remembering) the lies he told.

This "war" has to stop.

But was he telling porkys Kat. At the time , and in the circumstances of the moment , i believe the goverments of the UK and POSSIBLY the US believed they were doing the right thing and were doing what was for the best. i dont believe they should be held accountable. It must have been very turbulent and conflicting times and with the intel being far from brilliant what would you have done given all the evidence and the pressure of your countrys safety ? As for the war ending . Yes i agree lass

Any war needs to be stopped

There is a lot that we have not been told and more than likely never will betold or at least not for another 30 years and without that information it is difficult to judge or decide

True , but at the time were they wrong ?

We shall/may never know

again we agree , feels bad tho

Prince Harry's close friend is one of two soldiers to be killed by Taliban in Afghanistan


Prince Harry is mourning the death of a friend killed while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.

The third-in-line to the throne trained with Corporal Liam Riley, 21, during a military exercise in Canada two and a half years ago.

The pair had a photograph taken together during the operation as a memento of their friendship.


Fallen hero: Corporal Liam Riley and Prince Harry did military training together in Canada nearly two and a half years ago

Last night the prince paid tribute to Corporal Riley, describing him as 'a legend' and declaring it a privilege to have worked with him.

The Prince's old comrade was one of two British soldiers killed in a suspected 'daisy chain' bomb trap laid by Taliban fighters in Helmand.

It is thought he was going to the aid of a comrade hit by a first bomb when he was killed by a second blast.

Cpl Riley died alongside Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, 27, near Malgir on Monday.

Their deaths take British fatalities in Afghanistan to 253 - just two fewer than the 255 who died during the Falklands War in 1982.


Sacrifice: Corporal Liam Riley has been killed while on foot patrol near Malgir, Helmand Province

Last night Prince Harry, 25, paid tribute to both men. 'I remember Liam Riley so well from the time we spent serving together at the British Army Training Unit at Suffield in Canada,' he said.

'He was a legend. A really special man who got us all going and heading in the right direction.

'It was a privilege to have worked alongside him.

'It is incredibly sad also to hear that Liam died alongside his friend, Lance Corporal Graham Shaw.

'My heart goes out to their loved ones, and to their many, many friends in their regiment and the wider Army.'


Killed: Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, 27, who died alongside Corporal Riley

Prince Harry spent nearly three months on the frontline in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008.

A senior royal source said: 'It is terribly, terribly sad. They were on the course together in Canada for around ten weeks.

'It was very intense and all of those who took part bonded very quickly and became exceptionally close. Harry was absolutely gutted to hear the news.

'He could not have spoken of Liam more highly and feels incredibly sad for his family. I am sure he will be in touch with his family in due course.'

Corporal Riley, from Sheffield, and Lance Corporal Shaw, from Huddersfield, were members of the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, serving as part of the 1 Coldstream Guards Battle Group.

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, paid tribute to Corporal Riley.

'He was an inspirational leader of men and was the youngest corporal in the battalion. I have little doubt that he was heading to the top of his unique profession,' he said.

'He was killed by an IED whilst heroically returning fire to extract one of his team. He personified all the very best qualities of a Yorkshire soldier: brave, tough, honest and proud.'

He described Lance Corporal Shaw as 'totally selfless'. He added: 'He had that Yorkshire fighting spirit in abundance. You would want him on your team whatever the task. A great soldier and a great bloke who served his country and his friends, making Afghanistan a better place.'

Source Daily Mail

HELMAND BLAST BRINGS TOLL TO FALKLANDS LEVEL


BRITAIN’S death toll in Afghanistan yesterday reached a grim new milestone – hitting the same number as those lost in the Falklands War.

Two soldiers from The Royal Scots Borderers were killed by an explosion on Sunday night on a foot patrol near Sangin.

The men, whose families have been informed, took Britain’s roll of honour since operations began in 2001 to 255.

That equals the total lost in the 10-week campaign to reclaim the Falklands from Argentina in 1982.

In Afghanistan, all but five were lost since British forces moved into the Taliban heartland of Helmand province in 2006.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said: “Sad milestones such as this naturally attract attention in the UK, but in theatre our people continue resolutely and courageously with the task of assisting Afghans to build their own future.”

The latest deaths came as 4,000 British troops prepared further south for Operation Moshtarak, which is expected to be launched in the next few days around the Taliban stronghold of Marja.

And it emerged that British troops preparing for the attack are having to mix and match their body armour. New Osprey Assault vests with thinner plates were ordered as part of a £16million contract – only to be rejected by the MoD after failing ballistics tests.

Foot soldiers are having to rip off rubber padding from the old Osprey plates and stick them into the new vests, which are designed to give them greater mobility.

An MoD spokesman said: “We insist on the very highest standards for our troops’ kit and regrettably delays can occur if manufacturers fail our tough tests.”

Commanders have already warned that Britain must “steel itself” for casualties when the British troops, backed by 11,000 American and Afghan soldiers, strive to flush about 1,000 hard-core Taliban out of their bomb-making and opium-producing centre.

Aware of the latest milestone in casualties, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth urged the public to keep its nerve.

He said: “We have seen an intense, hard and bloody period in Afghanistan but, as we prepare to consolidate our progress with the launch of Operation Moshtarak, it is imperative that we hold our resolve.

“Our presence in Afghanistan is vital in preventing it from once again becoming a haven for terrorists who would seek to threaten the UK.”

He was backed by the man who became the symbol of the Falklands War, Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston, who was severely burned when the troop carrier Sir Galahad was bombed with the loss of 48 of his ­comrades.

He said it was “sad” that the Afghan toll had reached that of the Falklands but he said troops should not be pulled out if it meant a return to the Taliban’s hard-line regime.

“We can’t let the Taliban back in to conduct themselves the way they did before,” he said.

The two soldiers killed are the latest to die from improvised explosive devices.


Source Daily Express

AFGHANISTAN DEATHS SOLDIERS NAMED


Corporal John Moore of the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland


Two soldiers killed in Afghanistan as Britain's death toll in the conflict matched that of the Falklands War have been hailed for their bravery.

Corporal John Moore, 22, and Private Sean McDonald, 26, of the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed by an explosion in Sangin on Sunday.

A soldier from 36 Engineer Regiment - part of the counter-IED Task Force - died on Monday, taking the total of British servicemen and women killed since operations in Afghanistan began to 256.

The pair were "professional, courageous, selfless, and committed - true infantry soldiers", Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said.

Cpl Moore, from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, was commanding his section on a routine night patrol when a roadside bomb detonated, killing him and lead man, Pte McDonald, who was born in Toronto but went to school in Edinburgh.

Mr Ainsworth added: "I was so very sorry to learn of the deaths of Corporal John Moore and Private Sean McDonald.

"Hearing about these two brave men, I am filled with admiration for their courage and loyalty.

"Corporal Moore was clearly an extremely committed leader who was ready to rise to every challenge.

"Private McDonald was obviously a soldier's soldier who knowingly took risks to help bring a better future for the people in his area of operations.

"It is very clear that both were professional, courageous, selfless, and committed - true infantry soldiers. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their loved ones."

Source Daily Express

'I'm really scared': Last letter home of teenage British soldier killed by 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan


'Fighter extraordinaire': An investigation has been launched into the death of Kingsman Sean Dawson

A teenage soldier killed in a suspected 'friendly fire' incident told his girlfriend that he was 'really scared' just weeks before he was shot and killed.

Kingsman Sean Dawson, 19, died in a gun battle after suspected insurgents were lured into an ambush near Musa Qala in Helmand province on Sunday - just five weeks after landing in the warzone on his first tour of duty.

An MoD spokesman has confirmed that it is investigating whether he may have been accidentally shot by a comrade.

Kgn Dawson - hailed as a 'true Lion of England' and a 'fighter extraordinaire' by friends and colleagues - had been sending regular love letters to his girlfriend, Sadie Adams, since arriving in Afghanistan.

In one moving note he said: 'I've just got off the phone to you and I can't stop crying now I've heard you babe.

'I love you. I am really scared now.

'When I got shot at on Tuesday, the only person that came to me when that happened was you babe.'

The ambush in which Kingsman Dawson died was unrelated to Operation Moshtarak, the massive Nato offensive to clear Taliban strongholds.

It comes as Taliban fighters are increasingly using civilians as human shields as Nato forces carry out painstaking house-to-house searches for insurgents.

The Royal Military Police are already investigating two possible cases of 'friendly fire' from December - Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard, 22, and Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, 23.

Kingsman Dawson, of the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, went to Afghanistan on January 16 after passing a course to become a sniper.

His devastated family, who have been told of the 'friendly fire' theory, said he had dreamed of joining the Army since the age of six and loved military life.

His father Sean, 42, a Royal Navy veteran, said at their home in Stalybridge, Manchester: 'He completely and utterly believed he should be there, that is all he wanted.

'He was apprehensive and scared and rightly so, but he knew he had a job to do and he was proud to do it.'

But Mr Dawson refused to blame anyone for his son's death. He said: 'I've been in firefights myself and I understand these things can happen when there's two sides of bullets flying.

'I'm not going to sit here and blame anyone because that would be wrong.'


Parents: Father Sean with his partner Andrea. Mr Dawson said his son was proud to fight in Afghanistan

The teenager had two brothers and three sisters. His last contact with his family was a text message on February 7 saying: 'I'm gonna try ringing you today okay. Love ya.' But the phone network at his UK base disconnected before he could call.

Tributes flooded in to Kgn Dawson, with hundreds of people joining a Facebook site in his memory.

His commanding officer, Lt Col Robbie Boyd, mourned one of his 'fittest and finest fighters'.

Company Commander, Maj Alan Sweeney, added: 'His quiet manner, ready smile and gentle sense of humour disguised a courageous and unflappable young man.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Early indications suggest that his death was possibly caused as a result of 'friendly fire'.

'This is currently being investigated and no further comment can be made until the inquest.'

A total of 261 UK personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001.


Kingsman Dawson died after Taliban insurgents were lured into an ambush near Musa Qala

The top Nato commander in Afghanistan, American General Stanley McChrystal, yesterday warned British troops taking part in Operation Moshtarak that they faced 'difficult days' from a Taliban fight-back.

UK troops have secured about three-quarters of the former Taliban power base of Nad'e Ali. and reconstruction teams backed by the Afghan government will soon move in.

But General McChrystal, visiting British soldiers, said the battle was not over.

Major General Nick Carter, British commander of Nato forces in southern Afghanistan, said U.S. Marines and Afghan troops entering Marjah, the key bomb-making and opium-producing town, were facing sterner resistance.

Layers of IEDs had also been laid in their path. He also insisted that a Nato rocket strike which killed 12 Afghan civilians on Sunday had hit the correct target.

Initial reports suggested the two missiles, fired from the back of a truck, had gone astray.

But General Carter said they had hit the intended target and it was a 'fair assumption' that insurgents had been killed in the strike - suggesting they had been using innocent people as human shields.


Caution: Nato forces are having to advance much more slowly because Taliban fighters are using civilians as human shields


Danger: Soldiers are being forced to clear layers of improvised explosive devices as they clear out the Taliban

It was also revealed that the first Afghan soldier had been killed in the operation - the biggest joint effort of the war. In total the allies have suffered four deaths.

Insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, according to General Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.

General Ghori said: 'Especially in the south of Marjah, the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof in a second-floor or third-floor window.

'They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians.'

He added troops have made choices either not to fire at the insurgents with civilians nearby or had to target and advance much more slowly in order to distinguish between militants and civilians as they go.

Even with such caution on both the Nato and Afghan side, civilians have been killed.

Nato has confirmed 15 civilian deaths in the operation. Afghan rights groups say at least 19 have been killed.

Source Daily Mail