An account of the hazards and dangers that the Great British soldiers are facing in Afghanistan - and how Blair has attacked France and Germany for their pitiful contribution of troops.
Heroes are holding the line
By TOM NEWTON DUNN, Defence Editor
September 14, 2006
Like the days of Empire: British soldiers are going through extreme hardship as they fight the Taliban.
THE Sun today reveals for the first time the true hell Paras are facing in Afghan badland outposts — in their OWN words.
A dossier of accounts written by soldiers fighting at the very limits of their abilities has been leaked to The Sun.
Senior officers slipped it to the Forces’ favourite paper to expose what their men are really going through for Queen and Country.
The accounts show how Our Boys, led by 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, are showing amazing bravery in the extreme conditions of Helmand province.
They are holding their lines under relentless ATTACKS from Taliban rebels and nightly fire from SNIPERS, going without SLEEP and short of WATER and RATIONS.
To make it even worse they live in SQUALOR, sharing crammed quarters and plagued by RATS and BUGS in blistering HEAT.
In one document the CO of 3 Para, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal, warns top brass that no progress will be made there unless he can have more resources.
The dossier explains how Paras take it in turns to man four bases known as platoon houses.
They snatch just 30 minutes’ sleep at a time next to their weapons in defensive positions, are regularly blown off their feet and deafened by rocket blasts.
One officer describes the deployment as “the most consistently risky operation in over 40 years”.
Yet although the Taliban assaults never let up, the hero soldiers whoop and cheer each time they have to repel another one.
The Sun has also obtained the true scale of the casualties the Helmand Task Force has suffered.
So far the MoD has been prepared to admit only to nine troops seriously or very seriously injured.
But in reality the 4,000-strong force has suffered almost 100 casualties, half seriously wounded.
In an account of life in the most-attacked platoon house, in mountain town Sangin, one Para officer stationed there wrote: “Night after night assaults were repelled.
“Every soldier manned sentry and defensive positions or scurried around reinforcing positions or resupplying others with ammunition and grenades.
“Throughout the early deployments of 3 Para, the tower and central buildings took numerous direct hits from RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), small arms fire and a 107mm rocket.
“One rocket struck the tower on the evening of July 1, killing two soldiers and an interpreter and wounding another six men.”
One of the dead was Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24, the first British Muslim soldier killed in action in the War on Terror.
The officer wrote: “The blast threw many to the floor, deafening some yet to recover their hearing.
“As the medics did what they could for the casualties and with the air thick with dust and masonry falling all around, other paratroopers retook their fire positions and engaged enemy targets.
“On numerous occasions soldiers were knocked off their feet by RPG and 107mm rocket explosions.
“Soldiers on guard catch their sleep on the floor at the feet of their colleagues manning mortars or heavy machine guns.
“All have become used to going from sleep to fighting in a few seconds. No matter how tired the men are though, sleep is fitful at best as nobody can ever truly relax.
“Everyone sleeps in their body armour with many still wearing their helmets, all in 50°C.
“Clothing becomes rigid through the constant sweat.”
An NCO wrote: “Leaving Sangin, I sat on the helicopter with the body of a private at my feet who had been killed the night before.”
The dead private was Damien Jackson, 19, shot as he covered comrades leaving in a chopper.
On a visit to Sangin, Lt Col Tootal recalled: “After an unexpected lull the men of B Company were heard whooping and cheering as they charged up the stairs to man the rooftop sangers (defensive positions) and fight off the next attack.”
In the Colonel’s own account, he added: “This robustness and spirit has been reflected throughout the battle group and I have been extremely impressed by the way people have conducted themselves. Despite the rigors of this existence, morale is excellent and there is a will to combat.”
On conditions, an officer wrote: “They are extremely basic. The compound’s buildings are spartan and most are so cramped that the men live on top of one another.
“The mosquito nets do a sterling job of keeping away the very persistent insect life. Toilets have moved on from holes in the ground to half oil drums that are burned off daily.”
Sanitation was so bad at another platoon house that 27 rats were trapped in two hours.
The officer added: “The soldiers were completely shattered. Fresh water is used only for drinking and cleaning teeth. Washing is conducted in the canal.”
In other leaked figures, The Sun can reveal that 1,200 Taliban fighters have been killed by Our Boys on the deployment. The Paras have fired 10,000 105mm artillery shells and 400,000 rifle and machine gun rounds,
As many as 35 soldiers have died since the mission into the badlands began in March, with 19 killed this month alone so far.
************************************************
Meanwhile, Blair has attacked certain countries - mainly France and Germany - who haven't sent a resonable amount of troops to Afghanistan.
Poland answers Blair's plea
By ONLINE REPORTER
September 14, 2006
POLAND today said it would send 1,000 troops to join Nato forces in Afghanistan after Tony Blair told allies they had a 'duty' to send in reinforcements.
It was the first to respond to NATO defence chiefs, who agreed over the weekend they needed to add to the existing 20,000-strong force to step up the fight against Taliban insurgents.
The Polish troops will add to its already 100-strong contingent in Afghanistan.
Defence Ministry spokesman Leszek Laszczak said: “We know this will be a dangerous operation. Poland understands that NATO will have to be more active in Afghanistan."
He said the new force would be deployed from February 2007.
It comes after Tony Blair last night blasted Europe’s big guns after they failed to commit extra soldiers to tackling the Taliban.
France, Germany and Italy yesterday refused to back the 5,000 UK troops fighting in lawless Helmand province.
Commanders on the ground — backed by Nato chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer — have urgently demanded 2,500 more troops.
They also need more helicopters and equipment.
But after a Nato meeting in Brussels yesterday, spokesman James Appathurai said that “no formal offers were made”.
The PM said that it was of “fundamental importance” to global security to secure victory.
He insisted: “It is important that the whole of Nato regards this as their responsibility.
“The British forces are making their contribution. They are inflicting real damage on the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
“We should never forget the reason our troops are there — because out of Afghanistan came the terrorism of 9/11.
“The Taliban and al-Qaeda training camps were the reason we went there. It is of fundamental importance to the security of this country — never mind the world — that we make sure the job is done properly.”
He said the forces there were “fighting in difficult circumstances and fighting brilliantly”.
The PM’s outburst came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Afghanistan may become a “failed state” unless Nato forces are boosted.
More than 18,500 Nato troops from 37 countries are in Afghanistan under International Security Assistance Force command, currently led by the UK.
Another 18,000 non-ISAF US troops are also deployed there.
Britain, Canada and Holland provide most of the ISAF force in the dangerous southern region.
Other countries are reluctant to commit troops to the region.
It could take until a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Slovenia later this month for firm offers of extra troops from allies.
thesun.co.uk
Heroes are holding the line
By TOM NEWTON DUNN, Defence Editor
September 14, 2006
Like the days of Empire: British soldiers are going through extreme hardship as they fight the Taliban.
THE Sun today reveals for the first time the true hell Paras are facing in Afghan badland outposts — in their OWN words.
A dossier of accounts written by soldiers fighting at the very limits of their abilities has been leaked to The Sun.
Senior officers slipped it to the Forces’ favourite paper to expose what their men are really going through for Queen and Country.
The accounts show how Our Boys, led by 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, are showing amazing bravery in the extreme conditions of Helmand province.
They are holding their lines under relentless ATTACKS from Taliban rebels and nightly fire from SNIPERS, going without SLEEP and short of WATER and RATIONS.
To make it even worse they live in SQUALOR, sharing crammed quarters and plagued by RATS and BUGS in blistering HEAT.
In one document the CO of 3 Para, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal, warns top brass that no progress will be made there unless he can have more resources.
The dossier explains how Paras take it in turns to man four bases known as platoon houses.
They snatch just 30 minutes’ sleep at a time next to their weapons in defensive positions, are regularly blown off their feet and deafened by rocket blasts.
One officer describes the deployment as “the most consistently risky operation in over 40 years”.
Yet although the Taliban assaults never let up, the hero soldiers whoop and cheer each time they have to repel another one.
The Sun has also obtained the true scale of the casualties the Helmand Task Force has suffered.
So far the MoD has been prepared to admit only to nine troops seriously or very seriously injured.
But in reality the 4,000-strong force has suffered almost 100 casualties, half seriously wounded.
In an account of life in the most-attacked platoon house, in mountain town Sangin, one Para officer stationed there wrote: “Night after night assaults were repelled.
“Every soldier manned sentry and defensive positions or scurried around reinforcing positions or resupplying others with ammunition and grenades.
“Throughout the early deployments of 3 Para, the tower and central buildings took numerous direct hits from RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), small arms fire and a 107mm rocket.
“One rocket struck the tower on the evening of July 1, killing two soldiers and an interpreter and wounding another six men.”
One of the dead was Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24, the first British Muslim soldier killed in action in the War on Terror.
The officer wrote: “The blast threw many to the floor, deafening some yet to recover their hearing.
“As the medics did what they could for the casualties and with the air thick with dust and masonry falling all around, other paratroopers retook their fire positions and engaged enemy targets.
“On numerous occasions soldiers were knocked off their feet by RPG and 107mm rocket explosions.
“Soldiers on guard catch their sleep on the floor at the feet of their colleagues manning mortars or heavy machine guns.
“All have become used to going from sleep to fighting in a few seconds. No matter how tired the men are though, sleep is fitful at best as nobody can ever truly relax.
“Everyone sleeps in their body armour with many still wearing their helmets, all in 50°C.
“Clothing becomes rigid through the constant sweat.”
An NCO wrote: “Leaving Sangin, I sat on the helicopter with the body of a private at my feet who had been killed the night before.”
The dead private was Damien Jackson, 19, shot as he covered comrades leaving in a chopper.
On a visit to Sangin, Lt Col Tootal recalled: “After an unexpected lull the men of B Company were heard whooping and cheering as they charged up the stairs to man the rooftop sangers (defensive positions) and fight off the next attack.”
In the Colonel’s own account, he added: “This robustness and spirit has been reflected throughout the battle group and I have been extremely impressed by the way people have conducted themselves. Despite the rigors of this existence, morale is excellent and there is a will to combat.”
On conditions, an officer wrote: “They are extremely basic. The compound’s buildings are spartan and most are so cramped that the men live on top of one another.
“The mosquito nets do a sterling job of keeping away the very persistent insect life. Toilets have moved on from holes in the ground to half oil drums that are burned off daily.”
Sanitation was so bad at another platoon house that 27 rats were trapped in two hours.
The officer added: “The soldiers were completely shattered. Fresh water is used only for drinking and cleaning teeth. Washing is conducted in the canal.”
In other leaked figures, The Sun can reveal that 1,200 Taliban fighters have been killed by Our Boys on the deployment. The Paras have fired 10,000 105mm artillery shells and 400,000 rifle and machine gun rounds,
As many as 35 soldiers have died since the mission into the badlands began in March, with 19 killed this month alone so far.
************************************************
Meanwhile, Blair has attacked certain countries - mainly France and Germany - who haven't sent a resonable amount of troops to Afghanistan.
Poland answers Blair's plea
By ONLINE REPORTER
September 14, 2006
POLAND today said it would send 1,000 troops to join Nato forces in Afghanistan after Tony Blair told allies they had a 'duty' to send in reinforcements.
It was the first to respond to NATO defence chiefs, who agreed over the weekend they needed to add to the existing 20,000-strong force to step up the fight against Taliban insurgents.
The Polish troops will add to its already 100-strong contingent in Afghanistan.
Defence Ministry spokesman Leszek Laszczak said: “We know this will be a dangerous operation. Poland understands that NATO will have to be more active in Afghanistan."
He said the new force would be deployed from February 2007.
It comes after Tony Blair last night blasted Europe’s big guns after they failed to commit extra soldiers to tackling the Taliban.
France, Germany and Italy yesterday refused to back the 5,000 UK troops fighting in lawless Helmand province.
Commanders on the ground — backed by Nato chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer — have urgently demanded 2,500 more troops.
They also need more helicopters and equipment.
But after a Nato meeting in Brussels yesterday, spokesman James Appathurai said that “no formal offers were made”.
The PM said that it was of “fundamental importance” to global security to secure victory.
He insisted: “It is important that the whole of Nato regards this as their responsibility.
“The British forces are making their contribution. They are inflicting real damage on the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
“We should never forget the reason our troops are there — because out of Afghanistan came the terrorism of 9/11.
“The Taliban and al-Qaeda training camps were the reason we went there. It is of fundamental importance to the security of this country — never mind the world — that we make sure the job is done properly.”
He said the forces there were “fighting in difficult circumstances and fighting brilliantly”.
The PM’s outburst came after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Afghanistan may become a “failed state” unless Nato forces are boosted.
More than 18,500 Nato troops from 37 countries are in Afghanistan under International Security Assistance Force command, currently led by the UK.
Another 18,000 non-ISAF US troops are also deployed there.
Britain, Canada and Holland provide most of the ISAF force in the dangerous southern region.
Other countries are reluctant to commit troops to the region.
It could take until a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Slovenia later this month for firm offers of extra troops from allies.
thesun.co.uk