NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
31 Oct 07. Iraq: OP TELIC. From 1 Jan 06 to 15 Oct 07, 285 personnel were categorised as Wounded in Action and 1,211 were aeromedically evacuated. (MoD, 31 Oct 07.) From 1 to 15 Oct 07, the figures were two and 22.
“There are no current plans to deploy any more troops to Iraq….” [despite media reports to the contrary].
(MoD, 29 Oct 07.)
“….the situation in Basrah City has remained calm and stable….” (MoD, 29 Oct 07.)
Between 1 Oct 06 and 30 Sep 07 there were 2,963 attacks on UK Forces in Iraq and 1,256 attacks on UK bases. (Ministerial Answer (MA), 29 Oct 07.)
The Iraqi Prime Minister said that Basrah Province is to be transferred to Iraqi control in December 2007.
(FCO, 30 Oct 07.)
Between 1 Jan 03 and 31 Jan 07, around 134,000 UK personnel deployed to the Joint Operational Area for OP TELIC. (MA, 30 Oct 07.)
The Defence Secretary visited Iraq on 30/31 Oct 07 and was said to have discussed the strategic position in Southern Iraq following the handover of Basrah Palace. (MoD, 30/31 Oct 07.)
HMS RICHMOND is preparing to pass on her Gulf responsibilities to HMS ARGYLL. (Navy News, 1 Nov 07.)
Comment: The Foreign and Defence Secretaries issued a joint statement (30 Oct 07) welcoming Prime Minister Malaki’s announcement for the immediate future of Basrah Province. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0743, 06 Nov 07)
29 Oct 07. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. From 1 Jan 06 to 15 Oct 07, 276 personnel were categorised as Wounded in Action and 713 were aeromedically evacuated. (MoD, 31 Oct 07.) From 1 to 15 Oct 07, the figures were five and 22.
“There are no plans to change the level of the UK’s military contribution to Afghanistan.” (MA, 29 Oct 07.)
Between 1 Oct 05 and 31 Jan 07, around 24,500 UK personnel deployed to the Joint Operational Area for
OP HERRICK. (MA, 30 Oct 07.)
About 4,600 of the 7,400 UK personnel who deployed to Afghanistan earlier in the year were part of
12 Mechanised Brigade, the remainder being part of the National Support Element or others operating outside the Brigade’s chain of command. (MA, 30 Oct 07.)
Comment: HQ ISAF announced (27 Oct 07) that the NATO Military Budget Committee has approved funding to contract additional cargo helicopters within Afghanistan. The new contract is to “provide a fleet of helicopters to help establish a robust network of aerial re-supply throughout Afghanistan”, supporting the 41,000 plus troops in the country. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0743, 06 Nov 07)
05 Nov 07. Armed forces ‘let down by public’. Britain’s armed forces are being let down by a lack of support from the public, a think tank report claims. Low pay and poor accommodation for service personnel are the result of a breakdown in the “contract” between military and civilians, Demos argues. Dr Timothy Edmunds, one of its authors, said: “Men and women who put their lives at risk are being overlooked.” But the Ministry of Defence insisted: “The well-being and the safety of our people are a top priority.” The report, titled Out of Step, argues that UK forces are overstretched and their purpose is unclear. Recruitment and retention has been damaged by a lack of understanding of their mission in the eyes of the public, the Demos paper argues. It concludes that too high a proportion of MoD resources are focused on military hardware at the expense of human resources, with pay, working conditions and accommodation for personnel all falling Defence spending has not kept pace with the needs of the three services, the report continues. Starting salaries for military personnel compare badly with those for other public services, such as the police and fire brigade, it adds, while an estimated £5bn is needed over the next decade is needed to bring the homes of service men and women up to standard. Dr Edmunds, a politics lecturer at the University of Bristol, said that the forces remained high in the public esteem. (Source: BBC)
04 Nov 07. Army accident immunity ‘mu