Quality | 2009.08.14
Three UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan
• Death toll of UK troops in the country reaches 199
• Defence secretary advises against \'defeatist\' attitude
Three British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today, taking the death toll of UK troops in the country to 199.
The servicemen, two from 2nd Battalion The Rifles and the third from 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, were hit by an explosion while on a foot patrol near Sangin in Helmand province.
Their deaths came as hundreds of people in the UK turned out to pay their respects to four soldiers who were killed in Afghanistan this month.
Veterans, shopkeepers and residents lined the streets of Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire as the coffins of the soldiers – who had been working with the special forces – passed by.
Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, said the latest deaths underlined the scale of the challenge facing the armed forces in Afghanistan. "The loss of these brave men, and of all those who have been killed in Afghanistan since 2002, is a tragedy," he said. "It brings us very close to the sad milestone of 200 fatalities in this conflict. We cannot help but reflect on the toll the mission has taken on our people and their families and friends."
But he said it was essential that the military campaign was successful. "We must also keep in the forefront of our minds how important it is to the security of this country and its citizens," he said.
"So many young men and women have been injured or given their lives to ensure that Afghanistan does not fall back into the hands of the extremists and the terrorists who seek to threaten us and our interests. We must succeed. And we will."
Earlier Ainsworth warned of a "defeatist" attitude among some people over the military effort in Afghanistan. In what was seen as a criticism of the Conservatives, who have repeatedly raised concerns about military resources, he said: "The war in Afghanistan is too important to be reduced to political football."
In an article in the New Statesman, Ainsworth praised the commitment of troops in Afghanistan, but added: "This sense of purpose and momentum has not translated to the home front in the way that it might have."
The government has come under sustained criticism over the resources available to commanders in Afghanistan. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the outgoing head of the army, drew up a "shopping list" of requirements for operations.
Opposition MPs have argued that more helicopters would reduce the need to travel by road in vehicles vulnerable to attacks from home-made bombs.
Ainsworth said: "This defeatism has been exacerbated by political arguments about British troop levels, vehicles and helicopters that often misunderstand the nature of coalition warfare."
He said that some people in the UK "believe the fight is not worth it", but added that there were clear reasons for the presence of British troops, despite the high death toll in recent weeks.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/13[...]sh-soldiers-killed-afghanistan
