In continuare voi posta cateva dintre articolele scrise atunci sau la scurt timp dupa acest eveniment, citate de site-ul de mai sus:
1. Helicopter pulls out SAS team after secret mission uncovered
By Neil Tweedie in Qatar
12:01AM BST 03 Apr 2003
A British Special Forces mission in the north of Iraq went disastrously wrong when the team was discovered by enemy troops and forced to abandon its equipment.
The soldiers, from the SAS or SBS, were carrying out operations near Mosul when they were forced to call in helicopters to get them out.
Military sources said no men were dead or missing, despite Iraqi claims that 10 had been killed in a firefight.
Tribesmen were shown on al-Jazeera television with a British Land Rover and a quad-bike used by the SAS for operations in rough terrain.
Civilians grinned as they drove the Land Rover through the streets of the town of Baaj, and the camera then cut to the quad-bike and a cache of British weapons including hand-held rocket launchers, 40mm grenades, machineguns and specialised radio equipment.
There were no pictures of dead or captured British servicemen, but the footage forced the Ministry of Defence to break its traditional silence on Special Forces operations and admit that the rescue had happened.
"There was an extraction operation," said a spokesman. "A certain amount of equipment was lost, and this has been shown on al-Jazeera television. We cannot go into further details because Special Forces were involved."
It is thought a special operations Chinook helicopter of the RAF was used in the rescue, preventing a repetition of the Bravo Two Zero episode in the 1991 Gulf war in which an SAS team found itself cut off in the western Iraqi desert. All but one of that unit were killed or captured.
The SAS and SBS have been working across Iraq for two months at least, playing a part in the capture of airfields in the west of the country.
Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, the Iraqi information minister, described the incident as a major defeat.
"It is a complete defeat. Amazingly the Americans have pushed the British to do that. They pushed them ahead as an experiment. It is very tragic for the British," he said.
US and British Special Forces have been in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq for several months helping to build links with the KDP and PUK rebel groups.
Since the start of the war they have been active on the Kurdish frontlines, directing US air strikes on Iraqi positions outside Mosul and Kirkuk.
Their efforts have allowed Kurdish fighters to advance close to the two oil cities.
2. Shake-up in Special Boat Service over claims it 'panicked and fled' in Iraq
By Thomas Harding
12:05AM BST 26 Jul 2004
The Special Boat Service faces substantial restructuring after criticism of its performance in Iraq, with one senior SAS soldier refusing to work with the unit again because its members were "unprofessional".
The Army has transferred a number of instructors from the SAS headquarters in Hereford to the SBS to improve its fighting skills and abilities at operating behind enemy lines.
While the SBS is expert at operations at sea or close to the shore, there have been mutterings that it runs into problems in land patrols.
For the past decade sailors and marines wishing to enter the elite unit have had to pass the tough Special Air Service selection course but do not go on to the even more challenging "continuation" course in the jungle.
Instead they become highly trained in covert insertion by water, securing beachheads and protecting oil rigs and in specialised counter-terrorism to protect shipping.
Both units come under the control of the Director of Special Forces, an Army brigadier, with the SBS being deployed alongside its SAS colleagues on land since the mid-1990s.
This, according to several SAS sources, has led to problems that culminated in a debacle last April during the Iraq war in which the Iraqi Republican Guard compromised an SBS patrol.
"For the first time, they came under effective enemy fire," said a military source. "People were not impressed with their reactions. They were not at all impressed by them leaving behind their Land Rovers and kit."
According to one report, the soldiers failed to return fire and abandoned expensive equipment including their prized "Pinky" Land Rovers which were captured by the Iraqis and gleefully paraded on Arab television, much to the disgust of the SAS.
Two of the 10-man patrol had to march into Syria after missing a pick-up by Chinook helicopter at the emergency rendezvous.
"They cocked it up, panicked and did a runner," said an SAS man. "In that situation you are supposed to do a tactical withdrawal."
A senior NCO in the SAS was so unimpressed by his SBS colleagues that he has refused to serve with them in future operations because of their alleged lack of professionalism.
The comments were made earlier this year at the annual special forces debrief when all the troops make suggestions or criticisms of performances on operations.
"He stood up and said we will never work with these people again - they are totally unprofessional," said a former SAS soldier who served for nine years in the regiment.
"When an SBS representative gave their version of events in Iraq, it was interpreted as a crock of s***."
Senior military planners have now ordered a shake-up of the SBS. An Army source said: "They are going to be 'infiltrated' by Hereford to brush up on their skills, especially in close-quarter combat.
"They are far too specialised. They are great at infiltrating from water on to land but after that it gets a bit problematic."
Rivalry between the regiments developed when the SAS believed that the SBS, nicknamed the Shaky Boats, were intruding on its remit.
It is thought that the SBS has been lobbying to be granted a "30km insertion capability" that would give it access to highly sophisticated equipment.
It was also said to be after the SAS's jealously guarded "team tasks" in which they go abroad to train foreign special forces.
A former SAS soldier said: "They are expert at water ops but there is a substantial difference between land soldiering and swimming. We don't class them as soldiers, more as sailors. The SBS would hit the beach and secure it so we could go through to the business on land.
"They are like a fish out of water on land, if you'll excuse the pun. It's a different mentality. We carry everything everywhere we go; all they do is swim."
It is also believed that the SBS lacks the "close-quarter combat" experience of the SAS because it has had little experience of combat operations over the past decade.
"A lot of the regiment has seen a lot of action, with the SAS or with their own battalions, but this is sometimes not the case with the Shakies," said the SAS soldier. It has been discussed that the regiments should be amalgamated but this has been vigorously opposed by both sides.
• A special forces unit is to be formed specifically to infiltrate Islamic terrorist groups. Working closely with both the SAS and SBS, it will penetrate and gather intelligence on al-Qa'eda activists and supporters.
It will draw on expertise developed by the Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland in combating the IRA.
3. SBS heroics in Gulf War II Last Updated: 03rd August 2007 Chief Reporter A SPECIAL Boat Service hero told last night of his squadrons vicious firefight with Saddam Husseins elite militiamen.
His report of the most dangerous mission in the Gulf War nails the lie that SBS troops ran away and were rescued by the SAS.
He revealed how 60 SBS men fought for two hours despite being outnumbered four-to-one by Saddams murderous Al Fedayeen.
The SBS, who are part of the Royals Navys Royal Marines and have the motto Not By Strength By Guile, live in the shadow of the Armys SAS.
The Sun has independently authenticated this account which has been cleared by top Ministry of Defence officials.
AT the beginning of April, 60 men from the SBS flew into the desert of north western Iraq. There was rustration over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction.
Turkey had not allowed the US to use its bases. The Coalition needed a way into the North of Iraq so the SBS got the most daring and dangerous mission of the war.
The SBS were miles from any coalition troops, behind enemy lines and without any air support. Every other Special Forces unit in the war had planes on call very quickly.
Specially-equipped Land Rovers were flown in and the SBS men used language skills and experience in working alongside local tribes to find out where the WMDs could be hidden.
After a couple of days driving through the desert the men liaised with the friendly nomadic tribes and were given intelligence reports that 250 Al Fedayeen were on their way to attack them.
The next night, the squadron was in all lying up point, where they use the chance to eat and rest before continuing on their task, when several streams of vehicles were spotted approaching.
Around 90 of the Al Fedayeen dismounted and started to attack.
An unbelievable amount of fire opened up directly into their position from many positions in the distance. Rounds from Duscha heavy-calibre weapons and anti-aircraft guns raked us.
The ground disintegrated around the Land Rovers as the rounds landed, the ground shook and the air smelled thick from gunfire and dust that filled the air.
At first the initial reaction was one of where are they firing from? but soon the guys realised that it was from an unbelievable number of guns to the front. We estimated some 17 to 20 Duscha heavy-calibre machine guns, with at least two anti aircraft guns. Many vehicles took direct hits but the guys continued to return fire. Tracer rounds flew everywhere. The skies looked like the 4th of July.
The squadron were prepared for a fight and immediately returned fire. Guys had been waiting the whole war for this. A fierce firefight began with the SBS taking out several enemy vehicles. Mortar rounds were landing in and around our vehicles, with some taking direct hits.
People were crawling along the floor to avoid being shot in order to get back to their vehicles.
One guy did a good impersonation of John Travolta dancing as he dodged the bullets flying around him.
The sky was alive with the sound of Iraqi heavy weapons and mortar rounds and in the distance more of the Al Fedayeen were on their way to attack from vehicles.
Our commander then decided that as the mission was to discover WMDs and not to take on the Al Fedayeen, the squadron would withdraw from the firefight and reassess and perhaps ambush its attackers.
The firefight had lasted some 20 minutes and despite control of the skies by coalition forces, no aircraft pitched up to help.
It meant that the squadron, unlike any other forces attacked in the whole war, were out on their own. Some of the vehicles stayed back to provide fire for withdrawal as the squadron began pulling out.
The Iraqis were gaining on the squadron and after a fighting withdrawal the squadron reorganised itself and the commander decided to vacate the area.
The rear vehicles were engaging in a fierce fight to slow down the enemy advance.
The squadron began its journey out of the area using stealth and the help of night vision goggles to get away.
Whenever the Iraqis got too close, the guys opened up on them to inflict as much damage as possible. Then the lead vehicles drove in to a boggy area and ground to a halt.
These vehicles became stuck in the bog and were unrecoverable. Just in the near distance rows of headlights lit up the skies. The Al Fedayeen hunting forces were closing in. Some of the vehicles had made it across the bog and engaged the enemy.
Half the squadron were in a large bowl of land, their vehicles trapped, and the decision was taken to blow the vehicles up to prevent equipment getting into Iraqi hands.
As the vehicles were being prepped for demolition the Al Fedayeen were closing in rapidly. The sky was lit up by the sight of headlights seeking out their prey.
The resulting explosion attracted the Al Fedayeen. They lined the top of the bowl and opened up, thinking we were there.
All the guys could see was tracer rounds filling the skies, going in every direction.
This gave them the vital few minutes to put a bit of distance between them and probably saved them.
The guys from the destroyed vehicles climbed on to what others were left and the group started its escape towards Syria. The Al Fedayeen formed a big ring around our men and closed in.
Wherever our fellas looked, all they could see was Iraqi headlights homing in on them. An overwhelming force was giving chase. Avoiding capture remained the only goal. All we had to rely on was darkness and stealth.
The chasing Al Fedayeen gained on us, at times appearing to be only 100 metres away. But each time, using evasive driving techniques, the guys got away.
At one point it was decided to break into smaller groups to make it harder for the chasing force to catch anyone.
At this point, two guys on one motorbike decided to make the split. The guys, an officer and senior NCO, shouted, See you in Syria and were gone.
After nearly two hours of fighting off the enemy force, two American A-10 tank-busting jets turned up. They only had limited time there and were tasked to help one of the smaller groups to fight off the enemy.
The squadron was fragmented across the desert, fighting for its survival, harassing the Al Fedayeen before moving on, giving the enemy no chance to gain the upper hand.
Eventually, AC-130 Spectre Gunships turned up. The Al Fedayeen were terrified of them and backed off, preferring to lie in wait and try to ambush the SBS.
With Spectres as lookouts, the squadron made its way to be rescued by helicopters.
Tired, but feeling frustrated, the squadron were flown out of the country and later redeployed back into Iraq to carry on its work.
Back at base, the lads were extremely disappointed to not have finished their mission.But this was, to date, the biggest single attack by the Iraqis on any Coalition force, no matter how big.
The SAS had withdrawn from being attacked by a lot smaller forces and had not stood and fought. But they had the luck not to run into such a large force. Also, they had air support a lot closer to them.
As for the SBS, we knew it was risky, far more than usual — but thats what we are there for. The SBS have no bitterness — just a desire to get on with the next job.
The head of Britain's Special Forces has ordered the commanders of the SAS and SBS to end a rift that threatens to undermine the elite units.
The Director of Special Forces, an Army brigadier, is said to have been infuriated by a newspaper report in which a former member of the Special Air Service suggested that Special Boat Service troops were incompetent and lacked courage.
The brigadier, who cannot be identified for security reasons, immediately ordered the SAS's base in Hereford to investigate the events which led to the publication of the article and identify those responsible for the allegations.
Senior officers in both organisations were said to have been stunned by the claims, which they described as "malicious lies". The report said that the SBS, which is based at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole, Dorset, faced "substantial restructuring" after intense criticism of its performance in Iraq. Most damningly, it alleged that lack of professionalism within the SBS was such that one serving SAS soldier refused to serve with them on future operations.
It said that although the SBS - which has the motto By Strength and Guile - was highly trained in covert insertion by water, securing beacheads, protecting oil rigs and maritime counter-terrorism, the unit's experience in land-based operations was limited.
Crucially the anonymous SAS member used as the source of the story also claimed that SBS volunteers did not take part in jungle training - the most arduous part of Special Forces selection. In fact, all SAS and SBS volunteers must pass this to join either regiment.
The report added that the SBS's inexperience culminated in a bungled operation in the Iraqi western desert in March 2003 when a 40-man SBS squadron was ambushed by a unit of 300 from the Republican Guard.
It quoted a former member of the SAS as saying: "They [the SBS troops] cocked it up, panicked and did a runner. For the first time they came under effective enemy fire. People were not impressed with their reactions."
The article said that SBS troops failed to return fire and abandoned expensive equipment, including their "Pinky Land Rovers" which were paraded on Iraqi television.
Officially, the SBS refused to comment on the accusations, but The Telegraph has been contacted by former members of the unit and by senior Ministry of Defence officials who have given an alternative account. They have also questioned the accuracy of other claims in the article.
A senior MoD official said: "The Director of Special Forces has made clear to the commanders of both services that accusations of cowardice will not be tolerated and that anyone attempting to discredit either the SAS or SBS - which were both formed in 1941 - only succeeds in discrediting the whole of the Special Forces Group."
A former SBS member said: "The SBS was on an operation to hunt down members of the Fedayeen [Saddam's paramilitary force], but was double-crossed by Iraqi interpreters who were working as spies. They led the SBS unit into an ambush. But far from running, the SBS squadron became engaged in a six-hour fighting withdrawal in which more than 7,000 rounds were fired.
"They suffered only one casualty, who received minor shrapnel wounds, even though they faced a force of 300 Iraqi Republican Guards armed with mortars and heavy machineguns. That contact is now officially recognised as the most ferocious Special Forces engagement of the war. The squadron commander, who was an SAS officer on secondment to the SBS, was sacked because, ultimately, someone must be blamed for the failure."
He went on: "It is galling to read that we are a bunch of incompetent cowards who have never been in action before. The SBS has spent more time on operations in Afghanistan than the SAS. An SBS trooper was awarded the George Medal for rescuing a US crewman from a Hercules transport aircraft which had crashed after refuelling, and two others were awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for rescuing a CIA agent from Taliban.
"We have been involved in operations around the world including East Timor in 1999 and in Sierra Leone where they made up a third of the Special Forces unit which rescued British hostages in 2000."
The SBS was awarded 24 awards and commendations for its involvement in the Afghanistan war and has so far been awarded 16 for service in Iraq.
The Telegraph can reveal that the soldier who refused to work with the SBS was one of the SAS's most experienced sergeant-majors. He made his forthright comments during a briefing by senior members of the SBS to their SAS counterparts.
A few weeks later, he was attached to the SBS's M squadron for the duration of an operation and later made a full and public apology to the unit, admitting that his comments about the SBS were "out of order" and that he was "speaking rubbish". According to serving and former members of both elite groups an intense but professional rivalry has always existed between them. In recent months, however, there has been a growing sense of irritation within the SBS that many of their operations are reported as being carried out by the SAS.
The SBS, which recently had a new cap badge approved by the Queen, tends to recruit from the Royal Marines, who make up 41 per cent of Britain's Special Forces. The SAS is mainly composed of infantry soldiers. The Director of Special Forces has served as a captain with the SAS and a major with the SBS and has sought to encourage greater "cross-fertilisation" between the two units.
Prin urmare, nu este un zvon, ci purul adevar: UKSF isi vor reduce efectivul cu circa 40%. De obicei, ceea ce scrie in Daily Telegraph se dovedeste ulterior a fi adevarat. Asadar:
- 22 SAS va scapa neatins
- SBS va pierde unul dintre cele 4 escadroane, revenind la efectivele pe care le avea inainte de anul 2004, cand a fost creat escadronul X
- 21 SAS si 23 SAS vor parasi UKSF si vor intra in componenta fortelor de rezerva ale armatei regulate ("conventionale")
- Din 2014, s-ar putea ca dimensiunile SFSG sa fie reduse cu...66%, urmand ca aceasta unitate sa numere doar vreo 200 de oameni
- cea mai dramatica modificare va fi operata in cazul SRR, infiintat in 2005, care isi va pierde autonomia si va deveni doar o structura de sprijin a SAS si SBS.
Unii militari experimentati califica drept "nebunie" acest plan, mai ales reducerea efectivelor SBS si parasirea randurilor UKSF de catre cele doua regimente SAS din cadrul Territorial Army (21 si 23).
Revealed: nearly half of Special Forces could go in deepest cuts in 50 years Full details of the biggest cuts programme to Britain’s Special Forces in almost half a century can be disclosed.
By Sean Rayment, Defence correspondent
7:00AM GMT 03 Mar 2013
The elite units could be cut by up to 40 per cent, with two famous Territorial SAS regiments being “demoted” to serving with the regular Army, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt.
The restructuring programme is designed to return the Special Forces to their pre-Iraq War footing as a smaller, less expensive, but highly capable covert organisation.
The proposals will be presented by the director of Special Forces – the officer in control of the Special Air Service (SAS), the Special Boat Service (SBS) and other units – to Gen Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff, in the next few weeks.
The plan includes:
* Reducing the SBS from four to three squadrons, but leaving the SAS intact;
* Taking the 21 and 23 SAS territorial units out of the Special Forces command and making them part of the regular Army Reserves;
* Major cuts to the Special Forces Support Group, which provides logistics, communications and other support to the SAS and SBS;
* Ending the independent role of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), which was only set up in 2005.
The changes involve the loss of hundreds of posts, and come after a warning on Saturday from Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, that further defence budget cuts cannot be sustained.
The restructuring is part of existing savings, but Mr Hammond said that going further would mean “expensively trained troops may not be able to be exercised and trained as regularly as they need to be”. His intervention came before the June spending review and as he pushed for welfare cuts, which George Osborne, the Chancellor, has privately suggested must be the focus.
It is understood that an initial review of the future of the Special Forces Group was produced last year by senior officers in the Ministry of Defence, listing a series of recommendations now being enacted by a team in the headquarters of the Directorate of Special Forces.
The proposals, which would be carried out after Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, have divided opinion, with many seasoned soldiers describing them as “madness”. But senior commanders have ruled that the Special Forces must “share in the pain” of cuts. The current Special Forces Group stands at around 3,500 soldiers and marines, but the cuts could result in a reduction to between 1,750 and 2,000.
Of all the proposals, the reduction in the size of the SBS and the loss of the two territorial SAS units from the Special Forces Group are the most controversial. The MoD is likely to face strong resistance and will be under pressure to withdraw the plans.
The SBS, formed during the Second World War, has fought in every major conflict in the past 70 years. It expanded in 2004 to meet the extra requirement for covert missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Keeping the unit at full strength has been a constant problem, partly because its recruiting base, the Royal Marines, is relatively small.
Equally controversial is the removal of 21 (Artists) and 23 SAS, both territorial units, from the Special Forces Group and their placement within the regular Army.
The relationship between the regular and territorial SAS has become strained in recent years with the TA units seen as the “poor relation” in terms of expertise and equipment.
Although the TA units have not supported their regular colleagues on covert operations in Afghanistan, they play a vital role in intelligence gathering and mentoring Afghan police. Three members of 21 SAS were awarded Military Crosses in 2009.
The SRR, which recruits from all three services, will also have its role diminished in what has been described as a “loss of independence”.
It was created from a covert intelligence gathering detachment called 14 Intelligence Company, which operated almost exclusively in Northern Ireland, and has operated primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan. After 2014, it will reduce in size and support the SAS and SBS rather than conducting independent operations.
The Special Forces Support Group, which is composed of members of the Parachute Regiment with additional troops from the Royal Marines and the RAF, was created in 2006 and has operated primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting the SAS and SBS. After 2014 its strength could be cut by two thirds to about 200 troops.
A senior source with knowledge of the proposals said: “There is still a need for both the SRR and the SFSG, just not in the numbers required. Every unit has to justify its existence and the Special Forces are no different.
“They are not so special that they are immune from defence cuts. The Special Forces Group will still be larger than it was before 2001, just not as big as it is today.”
The plan ends the longest period of sustained growth for the Special Forces since the Second World War. The increases began with the response to the September 11 terror attacks.
Initially the expansion was greeted with scepticism, with many senior SAS troops saying the move would lead to a “dilution of quality” required for special operations. But those claims were refuted by a series of combat successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as praise from US commanders.
Until recently, the received opinion within the Armed Forces was that the SAS and the SBS, which have notched up an unbroken period of almost 12 years of combat operations, were immune from the defence cuts.
In Iraq, the SAS and the SBS formed part of Task Force Black, the US and British covert antiterrorist unit specifically aimed at al-Qaeda, and played a direct role in the killing of Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the group’s leader.
In Afghanistan, they have captured and killed hundreds of middle-ranking and senior members of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. British Special Forces have also taken part in, and advised on, hostage rescue operations involving UK and US nationals and helped train Afghan special forces.
An MoD spokesman insisted that the Government recognised the “strategic value and long term importance” of the Special Forces.
He added: “Furthermore, the Prime Minister has committed to significantly increase investment to ensure this elite group retain their cutting edge operational capability.
“As we draw down in Afghanistan, we will review the supporting infrastructure to ensure those front-line units have the support they require.”
Un ofiter exemplar prin stilul de conducere potrivit principiului "Follow me !"
Military Cross: Captain who led charge 22 March 2013 | Afghanistan
A soldier who served alongside the most recent recipient of the Victoria Cross has been awarded the Military Cross for his own bravery in Afghanistan.
Captain Michael Dobbin, of the Grenadier Guards, led his men to defeat the enemy against the odds on four occasions, including the incident that killed Lance Corporal James Ashworth.
Earlier this week L/Cpl Ashworth became a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross - the country's highest award for gallantry, last awarded in 2006.
Capt Dobbin, who commanded the Reconnaissance Platoon in the 1 Grenadier Guards Battle Group, today received his own honour for bravery on several occasions last summer.
In one, the 28-year-old, from Reigate, Surrey, personally led a 200m charge across open ground towards enemy who were firing on them, braving machine gun fire from as close as 5m.
In another, after an overnight ambush deep in enemy territory, part of the platoon emerged from a maize field and found themselves just 7m from four armed insurgents, leading to a fierce firefight in which Capt Dobbin charged forward and drove off the insurgents.
The next day, when a temporary checkpoint occupied by him and his men was subjected to a determined and ferocious enemy assault, he found himself face to face with attackers, firing at him from close range and throwing grenades.
The 28-year-old chased the insurgents, followed by others in his platoon.
Capt Dobbin, a former pupil at St Edward's School, Oxford, and Cambridge University graduate said: "Physically, the conditions were very exhausting. It was in the high 40 degrees Celsius and our kit was heavy.
"The enemy had the advantage of fighting on their own turf and laying IEDs but the morale was great within our very tight platoon.
"In combat, your brain is going at a million miles an hour and you are trying to predict what the enemy will do as well as assess the position of your soldiers so it is offensive and defensive. The platoon's performance was exceptional...
"With the honours or awards you can't give a unit a medal.
"It's tragic because there's lots of guys that go unrecognised for amazing feats of bravery.
"Whenever I put that medal on, I will absolutely think of every man who was on the platoon those days.
"It's of course a great honour because it's a medal that isn't awarded to everybody.
"It also brings up memories of some things that weren't such great days.
"I think when one puts on a medal that is given to you because of actions on a day when not everything went perfectly well, it does of course bring back memories of those days.
Capt Dobbin's citation says: "Dobbin's repeated courage at pivotal moments and cool head under fierce fire inspired his men to succeed when the odds were most against them.
"He never once flinched from danger and always led from the front."
Dupa cum il arata comportamentul si studiile (Saint Edward's School, una dintre scolile private cele mai exclusiviste, apoi Universitatea Cambridge) il asteapta un viitor mare. Ar merita.
UK Commander in troop cuts warning 1 April 2013 | Afghanistan Top British General fears of troop cuts
Cutting the numbers of British troops this summer in Afghanistan would be “unforgivable” and “endanger” hard-won progress at a highly critical time, the most senior UK commander in the country, Lieutenant-General Nick Carter, has stressed. The deputy chief of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said that overall the transition to Afghan control was going very well. But any attempt to thin out British forces on the ground as the coming fighting season approaches would have damaging consequences. The size of the British force currently stands at 8,000, a reduction of almost 2,000 as part of the schedule for withdrawal with further cuts to 5,200 by the end of the year. Most, however, are now confined to their bases as Afghan forces do the majority of the fighting. The reality of war is far from over illustrated by the death last week of Lance Corporal Jamie Webb of the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment in a suicide bombing at a patrol base in Nad-e-Ali in Helmand, which injured half a dozen of his comrades. Such attacks are likely to continue against both international and Afghan forces and are likely to escalate at what is being viewed as a “defining time” in the handover process. When pressed on the cost of the mission, Lt-Gen Carter acknowledged “a great deal of money is being saved with the plan to reduce the number of troops by the end of this year and it has to be a consideration at a time of economic hardship”. But this coming summer, he continued, “will be a genuine test of the capability and confidence of the Afghan forces, a test of the determination of the Afghan people to be with their government and a test of how much will remains in the insurgency. “In an ideal world we would be sitting behind the wire, providing training and advice teams to Afghan patrols; the large weight of our combat power hopefully won’t be required. “We want the Afghans to be doing it, but, if the Afghans get into trouble, or if the fighting season proves to be very difficult, we would be able to put our power back into the field to support and sustain them.”
Updated to include charities the family wish donations to go to. 24 May 2013 15:33 First published. 23 May 2013 17:00
It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that the soldier killed in yesterday's incident in Woolwich, South East London, was Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (attached to the Regimental Recruiting Team in London).
Drummer Lee Rigby or ‘Riggers’ to his friends was born in July 1987 in Crumpsall, Manchester. He joined the Army in 2006 and on successful completion of his infantry training course at Infantry Training Centre Catterick was selected to be a member of the Corps of Drums and posted to 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (also known as the ‘Second Fusiliers’ or ‘2 RRF’).
His first posting was as a machine gunner in Cyprus where the battalion was serving as the resident infantry battalion in Dhekelia. Having performed a plethora of tasks while in Cyprus, he returned to the UK in the early part of 2008 to Hounslow, West London. Here, Drummer Rigby stood proudly outside the royal palaces as part of the battalion’s public duties commitment. He was an integral member of the Corps of Drums throughout the battalion’s time on public duties, the highlight of which was being a part of the Household Division’s Beating Retreat – a real honour for a line infantry Corps of Drums. In April 2009, Drummer Rigby deployed on operations for the first time to Helmand province, Afghanistan, where he served as a member of the Fire Support Group at Patrol Base Woqab. On returning to the UK he completed a second tour of public duties and then moved with the battalion to Celle, Germany, to be held at a state of high readiness for contingency operations as part of the Small Scale Contingency Battle Group.
In 2011, Drummer Rigby took up a recruiting post in London where he also assisted with duties at the regimental headquarters in the Tower of London.
An extremely popular and witty soldier, Drummer Rigby was a larger than life personality within the Corps of Drums and was well known, liked and respected across the Second Fusiliers. He was a passionate and lifelong Manchester United fan.
A loving father to his son Jack, aged 2 years, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. The regiment’s thoughts and prayers are with his family during this extremely difficult time. ‘Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier’. Drummer Rigby’s family have issued the following tribute:
Lee was lovely. He would do anything for anybody, he always looked after his sisters and always protected them. He took a ‘big brother’ role with everyone.
All he wanted to do from when he was a little boy, was be in the Army. He wanted to live life and enjoy himself. His family meant everything to him. He was a loving son, husband, father, brother, and uncle, and a friend to many.
We ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor, Commanding Officer, Second Fusiliers, said:
Drummer Lee Rigby was a dedicated and professional soldier. He was a real character within the Second Fusiliers. Larger than life, he was at the heart of our Corps of Drums. An experienced and talented side drummer and machine gunner, he was a true warrior and served with distinction in Afghanistan, Germany and Cyprus.
His ability, talent and personality made him a natural choice to work in the recruiting group. He will be sorely missed by everyone in the Second Fusiliers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier.
Captain Alan Williamson, Adjutant, Second Fusiliers (and Drummer Rigby’s platoon commander from 2010 to 2011), said:
Drummer Rigby or ‘Riggers’ as he was known within the platoon was a cheeky and humorous man, always there with a joke to brighten the mood; he was an extremely popular member of the Fire Support Group (FSG). An excellent side drummer and highly competent machine gunner, he was always there to help out the younger members of the FSG whenever possible.
His loss will be felt across the battalion but this is nothing compared to how his family must be feeling at this difficult time; our thoughts and prayers are with them. Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Ned Miller, Regimental Sergeant Major, Second Fusiliers, said:
Riggers is what every battalion needs. He was one of the battalion’s great characters, always smiling and always ready to brighten the mood with his fellow Fusiliers. He was an excellent drummer and well-respected within the Drums platoon. He was easily identified whilst on parade by the huge smile on his face and how proud he was to be a member of the Drums.
He would always stop for a chat just to tell me Manchester United would win the league again. My thoughts are with his family and they will always be part of the Fusilier family. Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier.
Sergeant Barry Ward, Drum Major, Second Fusiliers, said:
Drummer Rigby was a loving father, with a very bubbly character. He was an excellent drummer, loved his job, and was a highly popular member of the platoon. He had served in Afghanistan as an FSG operator and was very diligent in his work. He was always around when needed and will be sorely missed by all members of the Second Fusiliers Corps of Drums. Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier. Donations to charity
The family of Drummer Lee Rigby are touched by the overwhelming support they have received and would ask that donations be made to one of the two charities:
The Fusiliers Aid Society through their Justgiving page Help for Heroes Sursa:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drummer-lee-rigby-killed-in-woolwich-incident
Am citit ca David Cameron le-a facut o vizita celor de la MI5. Oficial, sa ii felicite. Are si pentru ce. In noiembrie 2010, serviciile din Kenya l-au arestat pe unul dintre macelarii astia doi (Michael Adebowale), care voia sa faca o excursie pana in Somalia si sa se alature Al-Shabaab, si l-au predat britanicilor. Celalalt, Michael Adebolajo, era de zece ani in vizorul lor si acum 6 ani l-au arestat. Dar astia nu au luat in serios amenintarea si uite ce a iesit.
Acum las putin de-o parte corectitudinea politica si spiritul critic si imi permit sa fiu un pic visceral: bine ca bat toba peste tot despre pericolul venirii romanilor si bulgarilor peste ei. Cu toti Adebolajii, Adebowalii si alti mesageri ai 'religiei pacii' care transforma Londra in Londonistan pot dormi linistiti.
Nu demult, s-a trezit vocea constiintei in Curtea de Apel si mai devreme in Special Immigration Appeals Commission si nu l-au expulzat pe Abu Qatada, desi Home Office se da de ceasul mortii sa ii faca un vant pana in Iordania, unde ii este locul. Acum, poftim rezultatul. Macelarii de la Woolwich sunt 'opera' educatiei facute de Qatada si altii de teapa lui.
Imi place ca un intelept muftiu sau ulema sau ce-o fi de-al lor din UK spunea la nu stiu ce post TV, pe un ton masurat-ipocrit, ca nu ar trebui sa ne uitam la fapta in sine, ci (cata subtilitate !) la motivele care au generat-o. V-ati prins, nu-i asa ? E vorba de prezenta militara britanica in Afganistan. Nu-i asa ca are dreptate ? Nu sunt vinovati Adebulaii aia doi (cetateni britanici, se pare - unde e loialitatea lor fata de statul care le permite sa il scuipe in fata ?) ci Lee Rigby, pentru ca era soldat si armata, inclusiv unitatea lui, au servit in Afganistan. Oare cum l-au lasat pe nerusinatul ala sa spuna pe post asa ceva ?
Bune lucruri le-a adus 'religia pacii' si frumoase invataminte. Acum sa se spele cu ele pe cap. In final, imi cer scuze pentru aceasta iesire.
Ce,numai la noi sa fie magari.Sa moara si capra englezilor. LINK A soldier will miss out on almost £175,000 after his job was axed by defence bosses just 72 hours before he qualified for a full service pension.
Sergeant Michael Anderson, 35, was within three days of claiming a lifetime pension deal worth £261,278 for 18 years’ service.
He will now have to wait until he is 60 before receiving a package worth less than £90,000.
The case has fuelled suspicions that the Army, which is shedding 20,000 personnel in a cost-cutting exercise, is targeting those within touching distance of generous lifetime payments.
Critics have accused the Government of breaking the Armed Forces Covenant, the nation’s duty of care to troops.
Sgt Anderson serves with the Royal Dragoon Guards and has completed tours of duty in Northern Ireland and Iraq. He now faces the prospect of losing his job, home and financial security.
His wife Jolene, 32, a mental health care manager, said her husband had been ‘repaid with betrayal’.
‘He is crushed,’ she said. ‘It is disgraceful that he has been discarded just three days short of qualifying for his immediate pension.
'My husband has been building a secure foundation for a future for our family and now we are going to be potentially homeless.
‘He has been expected to live by and uphold the Army’s values of respect, integrity, loyalty and commitment.
‘Yet what respect, integrity and loyalty has he been shown by the MoD? Absolutely none.
‘We fully understand that cuts in personnel have to be made throughout the Armed Forces and across the public sector. But to wrench his pension away from him so close to qualifying is devious and completely undermines the values on which the Army is supposed to pride itself.’
Sgt Anderson, a father of two, lives in service housing in Catterick, North Yorkshire. The non-commissioned officer has also served as a casualty visitor, providing support for the families of killed or injured troops.
More...
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He was told last month he had been selected for compulsory redundancy from his job as a welfare officer with a 12-month notice period.
Soldiers must serve 18 years to earn an immediate pension and tax-free lump sum when they leave the Army. Sgt Anderson was stunned to find out his redundancy starts on June 18 next year – after 17 years and 362 days. Veteran: Sgt Anderson serves with the Royal Dragoon Guards and has completed tours of duty in Northern Ireland and Iraq. He now faces the prospect of losing his job, home and financial security
Veteran: Sgt Anderson serves with the Royal Dragoon Guards and has completed tours of duty in Northern Ireland and Iraq. He now faces the prospect of losing his job, home and financial security
The axe also fell just two weeks before he was presented with a medal for long service and good conduct. He now receives a redundancy payout of £87,417, with a £4,374-a-year pension once he reaches 60.
Had he reached 18 years he would have been given £261,278 – a £51,926 lump sum plus £8,723 a year until the age of 60.
The difference between the two deals is £173,861.
Kevan Jones, a shadow defence minister, said the Government had left soldiers on the ‘financial scrapheap’.
‘This is no way to treat someone who has given their life to the defence of their country,’ he said. Soldiers must serve 18 years to earn an immediate pension and tax-free lump sum when they leave the Army. Sgt Anderson was stunned to find out his redundancy starts on June 18 next year ¿ after 17 years and 362 days
Soldiers must serve 18 years to earn an immediate pension and tax-free lump sum when they leave the Army. Sgt Anderson was stunned to find out his redundancy starts on June 18 next year ¿ after 17 years and 362 days
Jayne Bullock, of campaign group Pensions Justice For Troops, said the MoD was saving £40million by axing about 100 servicemen with less than a year to go before reaching their full pension payouts.
‘It is an absolutely appalling way to treat soldiers who have seen more active service than any group since World War Two,’ she said.
‘The Government is treating them as economic collateral damage. It is morally wrong and it stinks.’
The MoD said it had to ‘draw the line somewhere’ and claimed the 1.2 per cent of personnel close to their immediate pension point will get a larger tax-free lump sum.
‘This is in addition to their resettlement grant and in some cases could total over £100,000,’ said a spokesman.
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The chief of the general staff, general Nick Carter, has spoken today to the Defence Committee within the frame of the Army 2025 inquiry. Unsurprisingly, very few solid answers have come out of the long session, and the few which did arouse even more questions and worries:
- The general has confirmed what was clear all along: the "Defence Engagement Battalions" will be tiny and the manpower recouped from their downsizing is what will be available to beef up the units needed for the Strike Brigades. N battalions (2 to 5) will go down to "around 300" personnel, from the current 560 (Army 2020 Light Role battalion establishment, all-ranks, all-trades). The DEBs are tiny, but don't you go thinking it is yet another fudge to avoid disbanding unsustainable battalions! No, they are just going to be "very specialized", with more officers and NCOs, linguists etcetera, according to the general. We'll see.
- The Strike Brigades are apparently going to have a very questionable structure: Carter talked of 2 regiments on Ajax and "probably" 2 mechanized infantry battalions for each brigade. This suggests a very modest uplift of one battalion compared to earlier plans for 3 mechanized / heavy protected mobility units. What cost will be paid by heavy armoured infantry and tank units, we do not yet know. With 4 regiments of "50 to 60" Ajax vehicles planned as key parts of the Strike Brigades, we are most likely looking at armoured brigades without a heavy cavalry formation: 4 regiments is already one more than earlier planned, and with no extra vehicles on the horizon it is hard to imagine any more regiments using the type, unless all recce troops within armoured infantry and tank regiments are sacrificed to scrape up enough Ajax to build up some kind of recce formation. The Ajax will be the "medium armour" element of the Strike Brigade, and this is incredibly annoying because FRES SV did include an actual Medium Armour segment, which envisaged a medium tank with a 105 or even 120 mm smoothbore gun, but it was cancelled and it is not coming back. Ajax was then designed and built for reconnaissance, and now will be squeezed into a medium armour construct, with reconnaissance a distant second and with the heavy armour formations apparently cut out. The whole Strike Brigade concept appears to be built upon the french army operations in Mali, which have evidently fascinated Carter to no end. Supposedly, the Strike Brigade will be a self-contained, self-deployable formation able to move "up to 2000 km" on its own, covering a large battlespace, "dispersing and regrouping" as necessary. This is what the french did in Mali with their mechanized, highly mobile battlegroups, but whether that experience is in any way indicative of future scenarios and needs is up for debate. The french in Mali have enjoyed the firepower of 105mm guns on AMX-10 and 90 mm guns on Sagaie. In the future, they will have the EBRC Jaguar with the 40mm CTA plus 2x anti-tank missiles, so they won't have the same kind of direct fire punch. They might very well feel the loss.
Ajax comes with no anti-tank missiles, as of current plans, so it'll have even more of a firepower deficit. That Medium Armour element would be very handy now, if this is the plan the british army thinks it needs to follow.
Also, it is worth noticing that the french medium brigades will have 2 cavalry regiments, but more than 2 infantry units. In addition, french infantry regiments are much, much larger than british ones. The Strike Brigade seems an imitation made by the poor cousin. Again, the french have taken the "self-deployable", "highly mobile" part of the concept very seriously by introducing combat squadrons in the logistic regiments to ensure that supply convoys have a permanent, organic escort. Again, the french can count on mobile, mechanized artillery in the form of CAESAR, while the British Army is most likely going to count on towed L-118.
Having to rely on Ajax for the Medium Armour capability also goes against another of the British Army's own recommendations from the Agile Warrior experiments: do not mix track and wheel in combat formations.
Many, many doubts remain. The price that the heavy armour will pay to allow this to (try to) become reality will be the measure of the wisdom of this plan. If the cost is contained, it'll be somewhat acceptable. Otherwise, it'll be a disaster under a fancy label.
- Force generation cycle. According to the written evidence submitted to the Committee, the army will adopt a new 4-year cycle, with 2 armoured and 2 strike brigades, alternating in such a way to ensure that one of each type is always at readiness. How it is supposed to work, i sincerely can't quite imagine. There are only so many ways you can try and keep at readiness 2 out of 4 brigades, year after year.
- Reserves. The Army has suddenly awakened to one fact: it is not realistic to expect that reservists will be available in sufficient numbers to routinely complete understrength, mutilated regular units. The Reserve will still be "integrated", but it'll return to a "warfighter reinforcement" model, as well as continue to be a supplier of specialists (for example, 80% of the medical capability, as already happens).
I'm not paid by the Army or MOD, nor am i inside their secrets, but if you read this same blog in November last year, you were faced by the prophecy about the true nature of the Defence Engagement Battalion and by the problem of force generation cycle and all other adjustements needed for this 4 brigade approach. Had the defence committee read my post, they would have had today's answers with greater detail and background, several months early. And this should be a reason for concern all by itself, because the MOD and Army top brass are supposed to do a little bit better than me on my own in my spare time...
The little we learned today, in practice, is enough to confirm that we are heading into a new questionable castle of fragile compromises, as was easily predictable. And we still do not have a measure of the other stealthy cuts that will be involved in this exercise of make believe. What will be the two armoured brigades look like? Will the number of MBTs fall further? What about reconnaissance in the heavy formations? And what will be the capability of the 6 remaining infantry brigades? What will their role be in the force generation cycle, and will the UK retain the ability to sustain an enduring brigade-sized deployment?
Meanwhile, from Eurosatory we hear that the expected date for the first MOD choices regarding the Multi Role Vehicle - Protected has come and gone in the silence, with no decisions evident.
The Royal Artillery is expected to put out an Invite To Tender early next year for two precision artillery solutions for the 155mm calibre: one requirement is for "Near Precision", and will be most likely fullfilled (assuming it receives funding one day) with course-correction fuzes that can reduce the CEP of standard, unguided shells. The "Extreme Precision" requirement would be met by a guided shell, which could be Excalibur, or Vulcano, or the Standard Guided Projectile, or any of the other contenders on the market. Even if the ITT goes out early next year as now apparently planned, it'll be 2019 before a choice is made. Don't hold your breath. The Royal Artillery has been trying to get this programme to progress for so many years that it isn't even funny anymore.
Industry is forming teams that will compete for the Challenger 2 LEP programme, but, again, it'll be a while before anything happens and for now, apart from the pricetag, there is nothing particularly exciting in this obsolescence-removal programme of desperation.
ABSV, as always, tends not to make any news, ever.
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