Afghanistan: Time to review our presence as two more soldiers die
Poppies grow unchecked and reconstruction falters as Taliban maintains tenacious resistance
By Sadie Gray
Published: 08 July 2007
Paul Flynn, it was, who came up with a noteworthy statistic during Gordon Brown's inaugural PMQs. In the first five years of the British forces presence in Afghanistan, he said, seven of our soldiers had died, most in road accidents. In the past 14 months, though, 56 have been killed as the Taliban step up the ante.
The sorry total tells only part of the story. Overstretch, as this newspaper reported last week, is biting hard as the Army juggles wars on two fronts.
And all for what? As Mr Flynn, MP for Newport West, pointed out, there has been little progress on reconstruction. And none at all on eradicating heroin production. Time, he suggested, to review Britain's approach in Helmand.
The latest victims were Captain Sean Dolan, of 1st Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, who was hit by a mortar round while observing Taliban forces eight days ago, and Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, of 19 Regiment Royal Artillery. He was killed by a roadside bomb last Sunday.
Captain Dolan, 40, had been a soldier for 22 years, and rose through the ranks to Regimental Sergeant Major. He was commissioned last year, and was recently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. An ardent supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers, on his last day as RSM, his colleagues played him a video message from former Wolves and England midfielder Paul Ince. He was married with a son, who is due to start university in September.
Lt Col Richard Westley MC, Commanding Officer, said: "He was the complete man and an unsurpassed military talent. He was the consummate professional and had a work ethic that served as a model for everyone who was privileged enough to serve with him."
There were similar heartfelt tributes to Sgt Wilkinson, 33, who joined the Army in 1993. He specialised in motor transport.
Lt Col Will Bramble said: "He excelled as a soldier ... and was held in the highest regard by all those who knew him."
So what did the new PM tell Mr Flynn? Little that might suggest Britain can escape the predicament created by its foray into Iraq - where two more British soldiers died in Basra yesterday and on Friday, bringing the military toll to 158: it does not have enough troops to calm Afghanistan, and aid agencies refuse to go to Helmand. For there can be no stability without development, and no development without stability.
