Author: By Sayed Salahuddin and Peter Graff, Reuters
Western diplomats applauded the decision to push the election to Sept. 18 from
May 22, saying it would provide time to implement changes designed to
prevent a repeat of fraud that marred Karzai’s own re-election as president
last year.
Read more on Afghanistan postpones tough parliament poll…
Author: Reuters
Pressure had been growing on Abdullah to withdraw from the contest against
President Hamid Karzai, seen by analysts as favourite to win the run-off
after getting the most votes in the fraud-marred first round on Aug. 20.
Author: By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor and Kim Sengupta, Defence Correspondent
John Hutton said the reinforcements should have been dispatched in the spring
? before the beginning of the attack on Taliban strongholds in Helmand and
when he was still in government.
Read more on Brown under fire from his own side over troops…
Author: By Kim Sengupta, Defence Correspondent
The decision to deploy up to 1,000 more troops is likely to be made after a cabinet meeting on the conflict within the next seven days. Ministers had indicated that no more forces would be deployed while a shortfall remained in providing enough armoured vehicles for protection against roadside bombs, which have claimed 80 per cent of recent British lives lost.
Read more on Chastened Brown set to send more troops to Afghanistan…
Author: By Kim Sengupta and Andrew Grice
Gordon Brown rejected a request from commanders this year for an extra 2,000 to 2,500 soldiers and sent a temporary force of 700 to provide security for the Afghan elections.
Read more on Reinforcements for Afghanistan ‘within a month’…
Author: By Kim Sengupta and Nigel Morris
Plans to reinforce the beleaguered British force have been drawn up after Downing Street consulted senior military commanders. But in a dramatic indication of the level of friction between the Government and the head of the Army, Downing Street excluded General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, from the negotiations.
Read more on Brown snubs Dannatt in talks on reinforcements for Afghanistan…
Author: By Sam Marsden, Press Association
The serviceman, from 2nd Battalion The Rifles, died while on a foot patrol
near Gereshk in central Helmand Province yesterday afternoon.
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said:
“It is with extreme sadness that I must report the death of a brave soldier.
Author: By Craig Woodhouse, Press Association
General Sir Richard Dannatt said any decision on increasing the number of
service personnel in the country would be a matter for the Government, but
suggested it would not be beyond the Army’s capability.
Read more on Increase in Afghan troops ‘a matter for the Government’…
Author: By Kim Sengupta defence correspondent
Twenty-four thousand separate pieces of wiring are being taken out of every helicopter in the grounded fleet of Chinooks ? replacing advanced hybrid digital technology with older analogue ? in an attempt to get the aircraft ready for service, the Commons’ Defence Select Committee was told.
Read more on Revealed: scandal of UK’s grounded helicopter fleet…
Author: By Kim Sengupta, Defence Correspondent
The Foreign Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) are said to believe that sending more troops, the request that has been made by the military, is not the answer and might actually worsen the situation.
Read more on Government split on need for Afghan troop reinforcements…
