A commander of the elite special forces in Afghanistan has resigned. Major Sebastian Morley, a reservist commander with the Special Air Service (SAS), blamed a chronic lack of investment in equipment for the deaths of some of his soldiers.
He described the failure to equip his troops with heavy armoured vehicles as “cavalier at best, criminal at worst,” the paper reported.
The Ministry of Defence and the government have faced repeated criticism from senior officers and politicians over equipment shortages in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last month, a coroner said defence chiefs should “hang their heads in shame” over the lack of proper equipment and training that contributed to the death of a British soldier during a rescue in an Afghan minefield.
The Telegraph report said Morley thought his soldiers were needlessly put at risk because they were forced to travel in lightly armoured Land Rovers rather than heavier vehicles.
The debate over where and when nations put their soldiers at risk is a separate topic. I have friends who have served in Afghanistan for more than one tour of duty and they know they have my support and respect.
That doesn’t extend to the pimps running the Pentagon – or British military procurement. I’m as convinced as ever that the process only has one goal: maximize profits for the vendors.
“the process only has one goal: maximize profits for the vendors.”
Wrong – 3 goals.
1) The goal you mention, althogh I would describe it as “getting unreasonably high profits for the vendors” (i.e.: enough is never enough),
2) Get high paying jobs for the generals and buyers in the procurement process when they leave government, and
3) Get big contributions now, and future lobbying jobs for our elected officials.
These 3 things go hand-in-hand. Can’t have one without the others.
Eisenhower was credited with warning against the influence of the “military-industrial complex”; but Abraham Lincoln warned us also.
Lincoln said, “”As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless.”
Sickening, isn’t it?
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“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism – ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Support the troops. Oppose the war.
So there’s no profits in selling armored-plated vehicles?
Cannon fodder,,,
or, if we go to war in a French Taxicab, it’s not really a war?
Why go at all? drop a nuke on their heads from outer space.
Anyone here actually work for a defense contractor?
I have very little sympathy for thugs that invade other nations. Let them die.
Armour plated vehicles are loss-leaders that they put in the back of the store so that you will walk past all the real money-makers. These generals of ours apparently spend their whole allowance before they make it that far in the store or they put them back so they can buy the new People magazine and a candy bar at the checkout.
#7 – Yeah, as if the guys getting killed have a choice in the matter. Fucking idiot.
Soldiers make-do with whatever they are given, because that is their duty. Every CO will say that his men haven’t enough of the best equipment because they feel that it is their duty. Cruel facts of war are that no armor is ever quite enough, when the rapidly evolving weapons to penetrate that armor are cheap and plentiful.
You just proven why we need to INCREASE spending on defense. After we pay Halliburton, there is not much left for the soldiers. We should be ashamed for not supporting the war efforts even more. Tell Congress you want MORE money spent on those who risk their lives for us.
Remembering 9-11,
Your V.P.
Maintaining an empire is expensive.
If after 5 years you STILL need armored vehicles, your foreign policy is definitely not working!
Rumsfeld refused to give the US troops M113 APC’s even though we had a huge inventory on hand, and he got off scot-free without blame.
iNTERESTING THAT THE elite COMMANDER CAN quit, BUT THE REST HAVE TO STAY..
He should have taken them WITH him, in protest.
They also have a problem with their medium machine guns firing when they are not suppose too.