Post by cammy on Jun 17, 2009 14:52:09 GMT 1
Spending in Afghanistan was capped, former commander says
Brigadier lambasts Government for limiting resources
Published: 10 June 2009
The British military operation in Afghanistan was severely hampered by a spending cap imposed by the Government, according to a former top military commander.
Brigadier Ed Butler, who was in charge of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Helmand Province in 2006, has told MPs that the Treasury had limited spending to £1.3 billion – for a three-year campaign. In the past, the Government has always denied imposing a financial cap on the Afghanistan conflict.
Speaking to the Defence Select Committee yesterday, he said: “There was a Treasury-imposed cap on the number of troops we could have in Afghanistan. We could just about hold the line but we couldn’t sustain a higher tempo.”
Brigadier Butler, who resigned from his position in 2008 to spend more time with his family, went on to tell the committee that there was not enough equipment available to British troops fighting on the front line, and in particular, they needed more helicopters.
The former commander also lambasted the overall Government strategy towards Afghanistan in 2006. He said that while most of the fighting was taking place in the north of Helmand, efforts should have been made to start development and reconstruction programmes in other areas. Highlighting the lack of knowledge about what was happening on the front line during this period, Brigadier Butler said: “Whitehall was of the view that the whole of Helmand was burning, but actually it was about 6% of the province where the real battles were going on.
“No one knew what type of campaign we were involved in. It came as a considerable shock when it was discovered what we were engaged in.”
Brigadier Butler also said that Parliament needed a strong secretary of state in charge of defence. In his speech, he praised MP John Reid, who was Defence Secretary from May 2005 to May 2006, for “knocking heads together”.
“It needs someone with clout back home…if you want to go into these places (Afghanistan), you must go deep and go long or go home…and you must be properly resourced,” he said.
Brigadier lambasts Government for limiting resources
Published: 10 June 2009
The British military operation in Afghanistan was severely hampered by a spending cap imposed by the Government, according to a former top military commander.
Brigadier Ed Butler, who was in charge of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Helmand Province in 2006, has told MPs that the Treasury had limited spending to £1.3 billion – for a three-year campaign. In the past, the Government has always denied imposing a financial cap on the Afghanistan conflict.
Speaking to the Defence Select Committee yesterday, he said: “There was a Treasury-imposed cap on the number of troops we could have in Afghanistan. We could just about hold the line but we couldn’t sustain a higher tempo.”
Brigadier Butler, who resigned from his position in 2008 to spend more time with his family, went on to tell the committee that there was not enough equipment available to British troops fighting on the front line, and in particular, they needed more helicopters.
The former commander also lambasted the overall Government strategy towards Afghanistan in 2006. He said that while most of the fighting was taking place in the north of Helmand, efforts should have been made to start development and reconstruction programmes in other areas. Highlighting the lack of knowledge about what was happening on the front line during this period, Brigadier Butler said: “Whitehall was of the view that the whole of Helmand was burning, but actually it was about 6% of the province where the real battles were going on.
“No one knew what type of campaign we were involved in. It came as a considerable shock when it was discovered what we were engaged in.”
Brigadier Butler also said that Parliament needed a strong secretary of state in charge of defence. In his speech, he praised MP John Reid, who was Defence Secretary from May 2005 to May 2006, for “knocking heads together”.
“It needs someone with clout back home…if you want to go into these places (Afghanistan), you must go deep and go long or go home…and you must be properly resourced,” he said.