Petraeus Opposes a Rapid Pullout in Afghanistan

By Dexter Filkins, New York Times

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of American and NATO forces, began a campaign on Sunday to convince an increasingly skeptical public that the American-led coalition can still succeed here despite months of setbacks, saying he had not come to Afghanistan to preside over a “graceful exit.”

In an hourlong interview with The New York Times, the general argued against any precipitous withdrawal of forces in July 2011, the date set by President Obama to begin at least a gradual reduction of the 100,000 troops on the ground. General Petraeus said that it was only in the last few weeks that the war plan had been fine-tuned and given the resources that it required. “For the first time,” he said, “we will have what we have been working to put in place for the last year and a half.”


In another in a series of interviews, on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” General Petraeus even appeared to leave open the possibility that he would recommend against any withdrawal of American forces next summer.

“Certainly, yes,” he said when the show’s host, David Gregory, asked him if, depending on how the war was proceeding, he might tell the president that a drawdown should be delayed. “The president and I sat down in the Oval Office, and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best professional military advice.”

The statement offered a preview of what promised to be an intense political battle over the future of the American-led war in Afghanistan, which has deteriorated on the ground and turned unpopular at home. Already, some Democrats in Congress are pushing for steep withdrawals early on, while supporters of the war say that a rapid draw-down could endanger the Afghan mission altogether.

General Petraeus, in his interview with The Times, said American and NATO troops were making progress on a number of fronts, including routing Taliban insurgents from their sanctuaries, reforming the Afghan government and preparing Afghan soldiers to fight on their own.

Rifleman Remand Kulung killed in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Rifleman Remand Kulung, from G (Tobruk) Company, 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), attached to the Danish Battlegroup, was killed in Afghanistan on 12 August 2010.


Rifleman Remand Kulung
Picture: via MOD

In the early hours of 10 August 2010, a Chinook helicopter was conducting a resupply at Patrol Base Bahadur. Part of the helicopter came into contact with the sangar from which Rfn Remand was carrying out sentry duty.

The sangar collapsed and Rfn Remand sustained serious injuries. He was evacuated to Bastion Role 3 hospital before subsequently being moved to the United Kingdom for further treatment.

At 1258hrs on 12 August 2010, Rfn Remand Kulung died of his injuries in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, with his family present.

fn Remand’s wife, Sophy, paid this tribute to her husband. She said:

“My husband, Rifleman Remand Kulung, was a kind, brave and very honest soldier. He has always been sincere and devoted towards his responsibilities as a soldier, which Gurkha soldiers are renowned for.

“He sacrificed his great life while he was doing his duty. Though it was a great loss that can not be replaced, his passing has left me the reason to be proud of being a wife of a brave soldier like him.

“He’ll be missed by me and my family forever.”

To read the full story click here

Sapper Darren Foster killed in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Sapper Darren Foster of 21 Engineer Regiment was killed on Friday 13 August 2010.

At 0653hrs on 13 August 2010 whilst manning a sangar in order to provide security to his colleagues in Patrol Base SANGIN FULOD, he was engaged by small arms fire and suffered a gunshot wound.

He received medical treatment on site and was evacuated by helicopter to the Bastion Role 3 Hospital where he died of his wounds.

Sapper Darren Foster
Picture via MOD

In a joint statement, the family of Sapper Foster said:

“He was a loving son, grandson and brother who will be sorely missed for his crazy flamboyant lifestyle. His only aim was to serve in the army, for which he made us all proud.”

Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Walton-Knight Royal Engineers, Commanding Officer, 21 Engineer Regiment Group said:

“Sapper Darren Foster was a young soldier with a great deal of promise. From the moment he arrived in the Regiment he was pushing to get out to Afghanistan as soon as he could. He arrived full of energy, itching to join his fellow Sappers and was quickly in the thick of it in Sangin.

“He loved soldiering and was fiercely proud of being a Sapper. He was never one to shy away from work or to leave a task half done; his section knew it and they loved him for it. He was a soldier you could rely on and one we could all trust. He was with the Regiment for just 3 months and in Afghanistan for just 3 weeks, but in that time he made his mark.

“His motivation, professionalism and his pride marked him out. He died doing a job he loved and whilst defending his friends. We have lost a good man and as a Regiment our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, girlfriend and his many friends.”

For the full story click here

Operation Omid Sey – clearing the road to Gereshk

Following the success of Operation Tor Shezada in southern Nad-e Ali, where ISAF forces cleared numerous IEDs from key routes and installed new checkpoints, the Afghan National Security Forces have led an almost identical operation in central Helmand Province.

The Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, working together on a major operation for the first time ever, at one point found IEDs at the rate of one an hour in Helmand’s second largest town, Gereskh.

ANA and ANP plan together for Op Omid Sey

The aim of the operation was also to drive insurgents out of the densely populated area with the support of ISAF troops and to build two new permanent police checkpoints to enhance security for local people.

Afghan counter-IED teams were brought from as far afield as Sangin and Nad-e Ali to search for roadside bombs which have been threatening the lives of civilians, soldiers and police alike in Helmand’s second largest town, Gereskh. One day they found eight in eight hours. The next day they found seventeen between dawn and dusk.

Most had been laid on a road alongside the canal, leading to an existing police checkpoint which had been attacked repeatedly in recent months. The road was also the direct route to market for the locals.

They hadn’t used it for months but were keen to see it reopened.

One Gereskh resident, Ali Mohammed, said: “The road is completely blocked by IEDs and we have to carry goods to market through the fields. I now have a really bad back as a result. We can’t wait to be able to use it again.”

ANP officer searches for roadside bombs as his commander watches on, with the support of ISAF troops

ISAF troops have attempted to use it but at their peril.

Warrant Officer John Waring, of 1 Mercian Regiment, said: “My vehicle had an IED strike here. A sizeable device, buried underneath the road. This device was believed to be a remote controlled device specifically designed to disable or destroy vehicles.”

The ANA Brigade Commander for 3/215 Brigade, Colonel Sheerin Shah, said: “Our mission is to open this route, clear all the IEDs and help keep it secure so that local people can use it.” But this was the first time the ANA and ANP had collaborated on an operation of this size. Both the ANP and ANA provided counter-IED search teams, trained by ISAF forces, and committed men and resources to protecting the counter-IED mission and the building of the two new checkpoints along the canal.

The ANA built them for the ANP, with British Army Engineers offering advice and support.

ANA Lieutenant Colonel Jangbaz said: “The ANA has equipment and this is the reason that we are building checkpoints for the ANP with the support of ISAF forces, for the local nationals.

Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Herbert, the Commanding Officer of the First Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 Scots), who also heads the Task Force Helmand Brigade Advisory Group, said the operation had been a huge success.

“The ANA and ANP proved they can do anything that ISAF can do,” he said. “The numbers say it all. They had 600 troops on the ground and we had just 100 offering support and advice. They seized the task with both hands and fulfilled it well. It is a great model for the future.”

Photos: Sarah Yuen/MOD 2010

Lieutenant John Charles Sanderson dies of wounds sustained in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lieutenant John Charles Sanderson of 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) [1 MERCIAN], attached to 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group, died on Wednesday 11 August 2010 of wounds sustained in Afghanistan.

Lieutenant John Sanderson
Picture: via MOD

Lt Sanderson was wounded in an explosion whilst on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on 13 July 2010.

He was treated at the scene before being flown to the UK for further treatment. On Wednesday 11 August 2010, surrounded by his family, he finally succumbed to his injuries.

Lt Sanderson leaves behind his mother, father and sister, all of whom live in Windelsham, Surrey.

His family have paid the following tribute:

“We have lost a brilliant and loving son and brother. John loved his Army career and was enthusiastically committed to his men and particularly his and their role in Afghanistan.

“He believed he was contributing to a better life for the Afghan people. We will miss him tremendously but we will never forget him and what he gave to us.”

Lieutenant Colonel Andy Hadfield, Commanding Officer, 1 MERCIAN, said:

“Lieutenant John Sanderson joined the Battalion in April of 2009, and after completing his Platoon Commander’s Battle Course arrived just in time to take his Platoon to Kenya. It was here that I really started to get to know him.

“Big-hearted, strong and imaginative, he quickly caught my eye as one to watch for the future. Whilst acting as ‘enemy’ he managed to evade us all and infiltrate the battlegroup headquarters, much to our dismay and his mens’ amusement.

To read the full story click here

Inside Afghanistan: Lance Corporal Sophie Wright’s frontline home

In the last of an intimate set of portraits, Lance Corporal Sophie Wright tells how she she recreates home comforts on the frontline and about the small pleasures she misses while serving in the Helmand Province.

To visit the Telegraph TV Website direct and watch the video click HERE

On Monday The Telegraph joined Captain Abi Bradley on patrol with the men of the Gurkha Rifles and on Tuesday talked to Sergeant Carly Lambert about how she copes being away from her daughter in the UK.

On Wednesday Lance Corporal Ashton Mulligan, who joined up at 16, explained why she now has ambivalent feelings towards ‘home’.

Yesterday Lance Corporal Laura Roberts described what life is like for a single girl surrounded by hundreds of young men.

Each one of these remarkable women casts a different perspective on a long Afghan war.

Even our Afghan Base is called Nightingale

By Caroline Crowe and Mark Mason, The Sun

CELEBRATED as the Lady With The Lamp for her tireless work helping injured soldiers in the Crimean War, she remains the most famous nurse in history.
And while today marks the 100th anniversary of her death, Florence Nightingale’s incredible legacy lives on.

The inspirational figure helped to transform nursing into a highly respected profession. And the school she founded in 1860 – now Florence Nightingale School Of Nursing And Midwifery at King’s College London – is today regarded as a centre of excellence for nursing education.

The Sun today meets modern day nurses who have followed in Florence Nightingales footsteps.

FLIGHT Lieutenant Vanessa, 41, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, is on her second tour in Afghanistan with Princess Mary’s RAF Nursing Service. She has also served in Iraq.

“Every day I witness something memorable – the bravery of the injured soldier, the life-saving work done by medics or the monumental effort the troops put into stretcher-bearing their injured to safety.

‘Being a nurse in the military is great’ … Vanessa Miles
Photo: Capt Leanne Christmas RE/MOD 2010

My mother and sister were nurses and I always wanted to be an emergency nurse.
I worked as a civilian nurse in the Field Hospital in Iraq and that inspired me to join the RAF in 2007.Being a nurse in the military is great. I feel really valued. We have lots of good kit and are highly respected.

I am the Officer Commanding of the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT).

The MERT flies on a Chinook helicopter from Camp Bastion, retrieves casualties from the ground and assesses and treats them during the flight back to the military hospital.

Targeted by the Taliban when flying out to casualties, we are protected by armour and the skill of the Chinook aircrew. Apache helicopters also escort and protect us.

In essence we take the emergency room to the casualty and that can make a real difference.
The influence of Florence Nightingale lives on.

Even the helicopter landing site at the hospital is known as “Nightingale”.”

To read the full story click here

Inside Afghanistan: Lance Corporal Laura Roberts, single woman

In the fourth of an intimate set of portraits, Lance Corporal Laura Roberts describes how it feels to be one of the only single women on a base of hundreds of men.

To visit the Telegraph TV Website direct and watch the video click HERE

On Monday The Telegraph joined Captain Abi Bradley on patrol with the men of the Gurkha Rifles, on Tuesday Sergeant Carly Lambert talked about how she copes being away from her daughter in the UK and yesterday Lance Corporal Ashton Mulligan, who joined up at 16, explains why she now has ambivalent feelings towards ‘home’.

Tomorrow Lance Corporal Sophie Wright recounts how she recreates her home comforts.

Each one of these remarkable women casts a different perspective on a long Afghan war.

Extra RAF jets announced as Defence Secretary visits Afghanistan

The UK is to send two additional Royal Air Force Tornado jets to Afghanistan, the Defence Secretary has announced on a visit to British forces serving there.

Dr Liam Fox, on his second visit to Afghanistan since being appointed Secretary of State, confirmed that the two Tornado GR4 aircraft have been sent from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, arriving at Kandahar Airfield tomorrow (Thursday 12 August).

The deployment follows a request by the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), General David Petraeus, for an increase in air support to provide greater protection to ground forces. The aircraft will join the eight RAF Tornado GR4s already provided to support the multinational pool and will boost flying hours by 25 per cent, or an extra 130 flying hours per month.


Tornado GR4 with Raptor Reconnaissance Pod

Dr Fox, currently on his way back to the UK, said before leaving Afghanistan:

“The deployment of these two extra aircraft is another illustration of the UK Government’s commitment to achieving success in operations in Afghanistan. Tornado GR4s provide essential air cover to our service personnel on the ground and leading the fight against deadly IEDs from the air.

“The intelligence these assets provide to coalition forces will enable commanders to have the eyes in the sky that they need to protect their troops and help increase security for local people.”

Following discussions, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, and the Defence Secretary, have agreed that the extra Tornados will deploy for three months.

Joined on the visit by the Chief of Joint Operations Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the Defence Secretary also visited Forward Operating Bases as well as units based at Camp Bastion and Kandahar Airfield.

Dr Liam Fox is shown around a Tornado GR4

They saw first hand today the training of Afghan National Security Forces, which is ahead of schedule and represents the key to enabling British forces to eventually leave Afghanistan.

The latest encouraging figures show that the training of Afghan forces is making excellent progress. Already, 134,000 Afghan soldiers and 106,000 Afghan policemen have been trained, putting ISAF ahead of schedule for achieving its target of 171,000 fully-trained soldiers and 134,000 police by the end of 2011.