General Sir Richard Dannatt on Bob Ainsworth
I've just recorded an interview with the former Head of the British Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt. He is fascinating - he talks about mistakes he's made in trying to persuade the British government to send more troops to Afghanistan.
He speaks candidly for the frist time about what he thinks of the Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, and his disgust over the attempts to smear him over his expenses claims.
UPDATE: You can listen again to the two parts of the interview below
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General tells it how it is,
Hopefully putting Minister in a tiz,
Oh, how I feel for our lads,
Forever let down by civvie cads
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Interesting the part where he was talking about needing a government that has integrity. Enough said!
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Why did you/your producer interrupt the phone debate about your interview with Sir Richard to have the non-news item about Curtis Warren? It wasn't breaking news and could easily have waited until later in the programme if you wanted to include it at all.
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Um, all this talk of equipment is fine but what have the enemy got? Sandles made from old tyres, a dishdasha, an AK-47, a couple of grenades, maybe an RPG and some explosives sweated out of old shells. Any tanks and artillery that the Northern Alliance didn't destroy, the air force flattened.
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Should we question those in charge of the armed forces budgeting skills? I'm not sure of the exact amount but I believe around £300 million was spent on Cruize missles during the invasion (getting us in debt with the US shortly after we'd just finished paying off WWII) and now they have no money left for the foot soldiers. It would appear they spent all their money in the invasion and didn't think that it might be a longer campaign - hmm poor planning.
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Sorry, this is not about this subject, just a note to Victoria to say thank you for knowing the difference between 'less' and 'few' and sharing that rare knowledge with the listeners.
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I have spent all my working life as a soldier, so what do I know?
Every single letter to my MP has been ignored, even the reminder that over 38,000 soldiers policed the province with their hand tightly tighed behind their backs. All my experience of Borneo, Aden, N. Ireland, South Africa, Rhodesia and Angola means nothing when faced with the massive knowledge of the Labour party. Every Wednesday the PM gets up and meaninglessly spends seconds on the value and worth of the Soldier, another statistic soon to fade into memory for all those except families.
It is all as worthless as their remarks on our bankrupt economy.
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It's all very well saying he's "just a Tory looking for a job" but who in the services would have any time for Brown or his worn-out government? How many votes does the Labour Party think they're going to get from anyone in the services these days?
A big, fat zilch, I shouldn't wonder.
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Dannatt complains that his request for troop increases was turn down. Yes, so. That is our politicians duty to make these decisions. His duty was to follow orders. Our military is run by political representatives not the military. What is scary is that he is after that role under the Tories. This is a worrying turn of events.
What is so sad is that what he doesn't realise is that the Tories will use him to push through unpopular decisions and he will have to agree and see his reputation destroyed. He has nowhere else to go. He is now a Tory lap dog. For them to do with him what they will. His recent decisions I think show that he maybe was not up to the job.
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I think the choice of text responses to your programme is getting more and more selective and it is not a very level playing field. It is really unpleasant to hear such a biassed choice of messages and objectivity is what you should be aiming for.
As far as Dannatt is concerned, he can't go and fight because he is the General. It is his job to organise and plan; as far as I can see the Government in the shape of Brown says no to virtually anything Dannatt and his co-Generals ask for. As an anti-war person I wish none of them were over there fighting a useless and unwinnable fight. But we are there and the least that could be done is to give the Generals and the gys on the ground what they ask for.
Please read the late Lt.Mark Evison's blog which can be found by googling him or reading it from this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/5820679/Mark-Evison-We-are-walking-a-tightrope-in-Afghanistan.html He died there but he left a damning account of his experience and those of the men in his company. And by the way, his commanding officer was the late Lt. Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, the most senior officer to be killed in Afghanistan.
Please don't castigate Dannatt because he is apparently getting a job with the Conservatives, castigate Brown and Blair.
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Sorry, he died in England but his wounds that proved fatal were received there.
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"I think the choice of text responses to your programme is getting more and more selective and it is not a very level playing field. It is really unpleasant to hear such a biassed choice of messages and objectivity is what you should be aiming for."
Well, there's an election coming, isn't there...!
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I will be switching to Radio Four!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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That's still the Beeb - do you think they'll be any less sycophantic towards their bedfellows down at Millbank?!
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I so agree with you, Carrie. It's disgraceful the way the Beeb have castigated Dannatt and NOT Brown and Blair. I despair.
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