AFGHANISTAN - OPERATION PANTHER'S CLAW TWO MONTHS ON

Troops carry a wounded comrade to a Blackhawk medivac helicopter. This followed a prolonged contact with Taliban fighters which saw the enemy attack from various positions on both sides of a river in Helmand, Afghanistan during Operation Panchai Palang 2 (Panthers Claw). Soldiers of 2 Company, 1 Battalion Welsh Guards (2 Coy 1WG), had been occupying a compound overlooking Checkpoint Yellow 7, a volatile bridge crossing, when the engagement occurred.

figure 1.

'Bollocks' Bob Ainsworth at the Labour Party Conference

figure 2 - fatalities by cause

figures 3 & 4

Gordon Brown's quotes from July 28th at the conclusion of the Panther's Claw when he hailed the operation a success:

"What we have actually done is make the land secure for a hundred thousand people."

"What we have done is push back the Taliban."

"What we have done also is start to break that chain of terror that links the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan to the streets of Britain."

Two months down the line I think we can all draw our own conclusions from the charts and map to see how much a success the operation has been.

Without the political will, and I can see none from Labour or Obama then we should get out. What is the point of our soldiers dying in such numbers and at such cost.

If there is a serious domestic terrorist threat then the money would be better spent in the UK, and not trying to defend our borders from five thousand miles away in a war the Government hasn't the will to prosecute effectively.

In conclusion, since operation Panther's Claw the fatality rate has doubled.

AFGHANISTAN - OPERATION PANTHER'S CLAW TWO MONTHS ON