Fitaloon at MicroShaft

Yet again the basics are blamed for the deaths in Afghanistan of four soldiers.The BBC has this

The coroner at an inquest into the death of four British soldiers in a blast in Afghanistan has pointed to “inadequacies” in their bomb training.

Coroner David Masters said the deaths also highlighted the problems of the Snatch Land Rover in which they died in 2008.

Verdicts of unlawful killing were recorded for Cpl Sarah Bryant and SAS reservists Cpl Sean Reeve, L/Cpl Richard Larkin and Pte Paul Stout.

How long do we have to listen to the same themes occur at Inquests before the Government, MOD, and our Defence Ministers understand what their responsibilities are to our Armed Forces.

The inquest heard soldiers had not been shown how to use metal detectors in the UK due to an equipment shortage.

The troops were forced to ask an expert on base in Afghanistan to pass on his knowledge.

Mr Masters said:

“In my judgment there was an inadequacy in training for this unit and its members.”

The inquest heard that the soldiers’ commander had requested a replacement for their Snatch Land Rover but was refused due to equipment shortages.

The vehicles could not cover soft ground and became stuck in a little water, which restricted the unit to driving along dangerous tracks.

“There was significant disquiet about these vehicles being the only resource available to this unit for a variety of reasons,” Mr Masters said.

He said his report to the MoD would seek a review on the use of Snatch Land Rovers by such a specialist unit.

At least 37 UK soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan while travelling in the lightly armoured vehicle, whose vulnerability to roadside bombs and other explosives has led some soldiers to call it the “mobile coffin”.

Despite this Bill Rammell, an apology of a Minister, had this to repeat

In respect of Snatch, commanders need a variety of vehicles and we cannot always put our people in those that are most heavily armoured as these vehicles have restricted manoeuvrability and are not able to drive across the most difficult of terrain

Did he not listen to what they said at the Inquest or is he just terminally thick. It’s written in bold above just in case he needs some prompting.

Today we should remember the four soldiers who died and hope that, in memory of them, lessons have been learned so that their deaths are not in vain. May they Rest in Peace.

BBC News – Troop bomb training ‘inadequate’.

Reuters has this.

Britain’s goods trade deficit with the rest of the world unexpectedly widened to its biggest since August 2008 in January, after the sharpest drop in exports in over three years, official data showed on Tuesday.

The Office for National Statistics said that Britain’s goods trade gap widened to 7.987 billion pounds from a downwardly revised 7.010 billion in December, and well above the 7 billion pounds forecast by economists.

The goods trade gap with non-EU countries also widened unexpectedly to 4.834 billion pounds from 3.428 billion, the biggest deficit since January 2009.

The deterioration in the global trade balance was a result of a 6.9 percent fall in exports, the biggest fall since July 2006. Imports were down just 1.6 percent.

January was an unusually icy month in Britain, which may have disrupted the transport of goods for export to ports, though the ONS said that Tuesday’s data in itself did not provide firm evidence of that.

Exports to non-EU countries suffered their sharpest fall since January 2009, dropping by 12.5 percent on the month, while imports rose by 1.6 percent.

The figures are likely to further raise policymakers’ concern that the sharp fall in sterling over the past two years has not led to the expected boost in exports — a point reiterated by Bank of England policymaker Kate Barker on Monday.

The ONS said there was a broadbased fall in exports.

January trade gap widest since August 2008 | Reuters.

Another excellent article from Joan McAlpine on the Steven Purcell affair, and the fact that the Press and TV are ignoring the story. There is, as she says, much interest in the issue as I can testify from the hits on this blog, many indeed from Glasgow City Council.

It is as I said on Sunday time for an Investigation, Joan has this to say on the subject:

Given the closeness of his coterie, the investigation needs to be independent ie outwith the council. The reason for full disclosure is not really about Purcell’s cocaine use/addiction. There have been plenty of functioning alcoholics in positions of power. And the TV industry in London, I’m told, does more than its bit to support Columbia’s criminal classes. The class A drug use of Purcell is just a symptom. It hints at a recklessness, and a belief that the law which applies to “ordinary” citizens does not apply to oneself.  One wonders if this attitude shaped other aspects of his behaviour in office? More precisely, we are getting a picture of a somewhat weak, vain and – dare I say it – malleable man, whose love of a lifestyle that certainly appeared lavish may have left him open to compromise. I don’t want anyone to snoop into Purcell’s medical records, or swab the private bathroom looking for traces of the white powder. But we do need to know exactly who attended those Friday lunch clubs and who paid for them. Who is paying for his lawyer’s bills now, his private medical treatment and his current extended holiday?

Let’s review the land deals and all contracts and licences awarded since 2005. Who benefitted under the Purcell Presidency and can we make sure they did so without favour.

It is time that someone in the Council or indeed out Scottish Government showed some backbone on this issue an demanded that it wasn’t swept under the carpet, otherwise yet again Scotland will be laughing stock.

Who benefitted from Purcell’s Presidency? – Go Lassie Go.

In a major speech on crime last week, Mr Brown said:

“Crime is falling. Fact. Down by more than a third since 1997. Fact. That’s 6 million fewer crimes each year. Fact. Almost 1 million fewer homes burgled. Fact. Almost 1 and a half million fewer violent crimes. Fact.”

Trouble is according to a study, by the independent House of Commons Library, shows violence against the person increased from 618,417 in 1998 to 887,942 last year.

David Green, criminologist and director of Civitas, said the Government had a reputation for

“scheming and manipulation”, adding: “I think the Government knew perfectly well in 2002/03 that it would be very helpful to say ’sorry we cannot go back beyond this date’ because they did not want a consistent historical series.”

Mr Green, who was a member of a Home Office Crime Statistics Review Group, which in 2006 recommended improvements in the collection of the crime figures, added:

“It is very revealing and fits intuitively with what many people feel and what many people have been saying, if anecdotal.

“For people to feel that violent crime is going up and to be told they are suffering from moral panic has always been of some concern.”

Yet more money that Labour have invested in the Police has been wasted on filling in forms and meeting targets that are meaningless and just reduce the time available for front-line policing.

Yet more Brownies or to call them what they really are , Lies, from our Prime Minister. He has caused Broken Britain.

Vote For Change.

True scale of violent crime rise revealed – Telegraph.

Not sure if the MOD is reading my blog but this has just been posted by the aptly named General Messenger:

Insurgent activity in Sangin

Let us hope that they are indeed taking measures to ensure there are no more deaths of Allied Soldiers.

Insurgent activity in Sangin – Afghanistan.