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Our toytown armed forces - American surgeons called in to help with
record number of wounded
daily telegraph

American surgeons called in to help with record number of wounded
American surgeons had to be drafted in to operate on British troops in
Afghanistan as the military experienced its worst month for casualties
since the Falklands War, senior medical staff disclosed.

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 31 Jul 2009


A British Army Field Hospital at Camp Bastion in a location in the
desert in the Helmand Province in Southern Afghanistan Photo: GETTY
British surgeons working up 18 hours a day had become "exhausted" as 57
troops wounded in action in the first two weeks of July were brought to
them for treatment. The medical staff were so overworked that their US
counterparts stepped in to help ease their load. The number of very
seriously injured soldiers needing treatment for amputations and other
complications in Afghanistan in recent weeks has meant the specialist
rehabilitation centre at Headley Court is preparing to operate at its
maximum capacity. The British force in Helmand has experienced its
bloodiest month with a record 22 dead following the launch of Operation
Panther's Claw against a Taliban stronghold outside the provincial
capital Lashkar Gah. Medical staff have been working flat out dealing
with the wounded but this has led to severe stresses on surgeons dealing
with serious trauma injuries at the advanced field hospital in Camp
Bastion. Major Gen Mike Von Bertele, the head of the Armed Forces
medical command, said that as a result of the "exhaustion of our
surgeons in theatre" a surgical team from the American force had been
called in to "reinforce Bastion". While the officer said Territorial
Army medics were being used to boost numbers he did admit that the
statistics showed there was a shortfall in regular military hospital
staff. The news comes after a public outcry after the Government refused
the military request for an extra 2,000 troops and over the shortage of
helicopters. During a visit earlier this month Gen Sir Richard Dannatt,
the head of the Army, travelled in an American Blackhawk helicopter as
there was no British aircraft available. The latest casualty figures
released by the Ministry of Defence have shown this July has been the
worst ever for casualties, including Iraq, for dead and wounded with 16
very seriously or seriously wounded out of 57 wounded in action. From
the 10 weeks from the beginning of May more than 300 troops admitted to
field hospital. Medical chiefs are also considering opening up the final
30 per cent of capacity at Headley Court which can cater for a total of
180 patients, many without limbs. "It has been busy no doubt about
there's been days when surgical teams have been working constantly,"
said Col Peter Mahoney, an anaethetist who returned from the operating
theatre in Camp Bastion this week. "The pulse of activity deploying on
wards is going on with what's happening on the ground. "It's stressful
for everybody dealing with badly wounded young people particularly
cutting off camouflage of people you recognise as your own. It has been
stressful but they have done extraordinary well." The staff are also
having to cope with a surge of Afghan army and police casualties as well
as civilians and injured Taliban prisoners. As a result of the blast
injuries being witnessed in Afghanistan extra plastic surgeons were
being flown in along with more X-ray operators.



daily telegraph
Justice for Wounded: troops to get retrospective compensation Thousands
of wounded servicemen given compensation since 2005 could see their
payments increase after Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, announced
a Government review.




By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Published: 9:23AM BST 30 Jul 2009


Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, said that the review of the Armed
Forces Compensation Scheme will be retrospective and cover all awards
made under the scheme Photo: PA Mr Ainsworth said that the review of the
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will be retrospective and cover all
awards made under the scheme. He brought forward the review of the
scheme amid mounting public anger over Government treatment of injured
soldiers.

The move came only days after The Daily Telegraph launched the Justice
for Wounded campaign, which is backed by senior military figures and
campaigners. The AFCS has made almost 12,000 awards since starting in
2005. Mr Ainsworth told BBC Radio Four's Today programme those could all
be reassessed. He said: "It will be retrospective. It will cover the
cases of the scheme since it started." Accepting that the current rules
do not do enough to compensate some of the wounded, he added: “There
are some terrible injuries that are being suffered on our behalf in
Afghanistan, and we have to have a scheme that reflects that properly.”
The defence secretary had faced criticism after his officials launched a
legal appeal to cut the compensation awarded to two injured service
personnel, one of whom is now serving in Afghanistan. Mr Ainsworth said
"in isolation, possibly it was" a mistake to bring the case, but
insisted it was necessary because of tribunal rulings over the two cases
that could have set a precedent that “rendered the scheme almost
impossible to run”. The Royal British Legion and Sir John Major have
said the compensation review must be independent of the MoD. Mr
Ainsworth promised charities and military families will be formally
involved in the review, but said it could not have an independent
chairman. He said: “The government can't abrogate responsibility. We
can't leave decisions to other people." To add your support to the
Telegraph Justice for wounded campaign please click here

 MoD bid to cut payouts criticised

A legal bid by the Ministry of Defence to try to cut the compensation
awarded to two injured servicemen has attracted widespread criticism.

Wounded troops' representatives and relatives said the MoD was "out of
touch" and the court bid "unfortunate".

One soldier, shot in Iraq, received £46,000, and the other - injured in
training - got £28,750. The payouts had been increased after
complications.

But the MoD argues compensation should be for "original injuries" only.

The stance has attracted criticism amid mounting casualties in
Afghanistan.

Two more soldiers were killed in Helmand province on Monday, bringing
the total number of UK fatalities since operations began in Afghanistan
in 2001 to 191.

They have been named as Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton, 35, from
Nottinghamshire, and Trooper Phillip Lawrence, 22, from Birkenhead.

Military officials have said the first phase of a major offensive -
Operation Panther's Claw - had been completed in Helmand.

'Appalling timing'

The Court of Appeal action involves Corporal Anthony Duncan and Royal
Marine Matthew McWilliams.

Cpl Duncan was initially awarded £9,250 after being shot, while Marine
McWilliams received £8,250 for fracturing his thigh on a training
exercise, before they appealed to a tribunal for further compensation.

Both men argued they had suffered a number of subsequent health problems
during their treatment and these should not be regarded as separate from
their original injuries.

Three judges agreed with them and increased their compensation, but the
MoD is now seeking to overturn that ruling.

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the timing of the case
could hardly be worse for the MoD, with more and more wounded soldiers
returning from the front lines in Afghanistan.

She said the case was being watched closely as important legal
principles were at stake for other wounded service personnel.

Diane Dernie, 51, mother of Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson who lost both
legs and suffered severe brain damage in a blast in Helmand in 2006,
said the appeal by the MoD showed how out of touch it was with public
sentiment.

"It is very, very sad that on a day like today, when all the news is as
bad as it is, and has been recently, that the MoD can still think to cut
what are not overly generous payments," she told the BBC.

"It just beggars belief really and proves that yet again they don't
understand how people feel about our troops," she added.

Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Church, of the British Limbless Ex-
Servicemen's Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This case
is obviously appalling timing for the Ministry of Defence."

Simon Weston, who suffered horrific burns in the Falklands conflict,
said many service personnel with the worst injuries "will never work
again or will always have problems".
“ The government is obliged to test the principles to get absolute
clarity on what appropriate levels of payment should be made �
Eric Joyce, MP for Falkirk

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said the case demonstrated that the
government had "lost its political instincts and sense of direction".

Tory MP James Arbuthnot, chairman of the Commons defence committee,
warned that the appeal "sends all the wrong messages" to would-be
recruits.

The MoD claims it is trying "to clarify an earlier judgment about how
the armed forces compensation scheme is administered, and to protect the
key principle of the scheme: the most compensation for the most
seriously injured".

The department is also currently reviewing its compensation scheme
following a number of appeals from former service personnel.

The MoD points out it has doubled the maximum lump sum payment to
£570,000 for the most severely injured soldiers, in addition to an
index-linked monthly income for life.

Defence Minister Kevan Jones said the action was about trying to
introduce "fairness" to the scheme.

He said the original ruling had put "an amputee along par with someone
who had broken their leg, for example" and the Court of Appeal was "not
reducing compensation but actually clarifying the rules".

Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said the government was "trying to
protect that fundamental principle of the most compensation for the most
seriously injured".

Eric Joyce, the Labour MP for Falkirk who served in the Army, said: "The
government is obliged to test the principles to get absolute clarity on
what appropriate levels of payment should be made."

'Rugby-tackled'

One of the soldiers at the centre of the row, Cpl Duncan, is currently
undertaking his first tour of duty since he was shot in his left leg in
Iraq in 2005.

Speaking about his injury, Cpl Duncan said: "I thought I'd been rugby-
tackled at first.

"I was looking around for someone to swing for, then realised I couldn't
feel my leg.

"I saw the blood and thought I'd been involved in an explosion."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/8172738.stm

Published: 2009/07/28 18:26:23 GMT

TELEGRAPH                                               22.7.09
Government slaps down minister over shortage of helicopters Gordon Brown
has been forced to slap down minister Lord Malloch-Brown who admitted
the British Army was short of helicopters to fight the war in
Afghanistan.

        By Andrew Porter

In an exclusive interview, Lord Malloch-Brown told The Daily Telegraph
that “we definitely don’t have enough helicopters”.

Lord Malloch-Brown – who is leaving the Government at the end of this
week – also admitted that the public were not warned sufficiently
about Britain and the US going on the offensive in Helmand before the
recent rise in casualties.

And in a farewell salvo, he conceded that Mr Brown’s future looked
“bleak,” while also casting doubt on the future of Britain’s
Trident nuclear deterrent.

His disclosures have infuriated Number 10. Downing Street insiders have
now claimed that Lord Malloch-Brown, who is leaving his position as
Foreign Office Minister this month, was “out of the loop” and not in
a position to make such statements.

And in another sign that Downing Street was furious with the man who
Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, had brought in to sit in Cabinet two
years ago, the minister was forced to rush out a statement where he
tried to "clarify" his remarks.  This came in a Foreign Office press
release: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?
view=PressS&id=20596015

He said: “On the issue of helicopters in Afghanistan, I was making the
point - as the Prime Minister and commanders on the ground have also
done - that while there are without doubt sufficient resources in place
for current operations, we should always do what we can to make more
available on the front line.”

Mr Brown faced questions on the comments at his monthly press conference
today and will be livid at the embarrassment Lord Malloch- Brown, whose
brief includes Afghanistan, has caused.

In his Daily Telegraph interview, the minister also suggested that the
greater threat, in the form of exported terrorism, to Britain came not
from Afghanistan, where 9,000 British troops are now stationed, but
Somalia and Pakistan.

Professor Michael Clarke, director of defence think tank the Royal
United Services Institute, said Lord Malloch-Brown's comments were an
'astonishing' challenge to the Government to rethink its Afghanistan
strategy.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the row over helicopters had
assumed a "totemic" significance.

"Everyone agrees it would be better if there were more lift helicopters
... in Afghanistan because they give you the flexibility to move people
around. "But on their own, helicopters are no silver bullet for winning
wars." "It is astonishing to me that Malloch-Brown has said this before
he steps down from the Government because he seems to be throwing down a
challenge, which is to say 'we have to rethink our strategic priorities
over Afghanistan and what we are trying to achieve there'. "That is
something a number of people have said, but for a Government minister to
say this at this time is very interesting."

Lord Malloch-Brown’s intervention in the row over the lack of
helicopters for British troops is particularly damaging for the Prime
Minister because his role as Foreign Office minister includes
responsibility for Afghanistan.

Mr Brown has been under considerable pressure from the military over
equipment levels in Afghanistan. On Tuesday it was disclosed that a bomb
disposal expert had become the latest victim of the conflict with the
Taliban, the 18th British death since the start of the month. The UK
death toll is 186 since the start of operations in the country in 2001.

Last week Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the Army, criticised Mr
Brown and ministers for failing to supply enough men, vehicles and
equipment. Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of Defence
Staff, also insisted that more helicopters would save lives.

However, Mr Brown has repeatedly said troops had enough resources to do
the job despite the recent increase in British deaths.

Lord Foulkes, the former Labour minister has condemned Sir Richard and
Sir Jock for criticising ministers over troop numbers and lack of
equipment, claiming the comments “threaten to undermine” the UK’s
effort in Afghanistan and give “succour to the enemy”
=======================
BBC News at 11:16               22/7/09
        (via Politics Home)
Malloch-Brown looks "completely dotty" after helicopter u-turn, says
Nick Harvey

        •       Nick Harvey MP, Lib Dem Defence spokesperson

Mr Harvey said that Lord Malloch-Brown had told the truth with his
initial comments about helicopter levels in Afghanistan, and that his
clarification made the minister look "completely dotty".

"He's got a bit of form in this respect he's said the truth one or twice
before and embarrassed the government," he said, adding the peer had
been "right the first time, and the clarification makes him look
completely dotty."

He added: "The fact that General Dannatt as head of the army and Sir
Jock Stirrup and head of all the forces have been quite as outspoken as
they have in the last few days on this subject would indicate to me that
what they have said privately, it hasn't been getting through to the
government."

"Lord Malloch-Brown was I think simply making the same point in his
comments and I don't think anyone is going to be fooled by this
attempt to brush it under the carpet."
=======================
POLITICS HOME - - BROWN PRESS CONFERENCE                        22.7.09
  -- RELEVANT EXTRACT

Gordon Brown, speaking at his monthly news conference, insisted that
there were sufficient resources to complete the mission in Afghanistan
..
The Prime Minister insisted that there were sufficient helicopters to
undertake the current mission in Afghanistan, and stressed the need to
listen to the testimony of the troops and commanders on the ground.

"You've got to look at what people are saying on the ground about this.
I am satisfied that Operation Panther's Claw has the resources it needs
to be succesful," he said.

"The fact it is making progress at the moment and yielding results
already shows that this is the case."

Mr Brown added: "It is important to recognise what the commanders are
saying on the ground," and said it was "completely wrong that the loss
of lives has been as a result of a lack of helicopters".

He revealed he hadn't spoken to Lord Malloch Brown - [then who had?
Mandelson again? -cs]  this morning following a report that he had
conceded that more helicopters were needed in Afghanistan, but the
outgoing Foreign Office Minister had "corrected any misrepresentation
there has been of his comments this morning." Britain's national
security 'under threat because of GCHQ red tape' Britain's national
security is being put at risk because of excessive bureaucracy at the
Government's top secret listening post in Cheltenham.

By Christopher Hope, Whitehall Editor
Published: 7:00AM BST 20 Jul 2009

A Cabinet Office "report card" study found a "proliferation of
strategies" and "overly complex internal processes and procedures" was
threatening the ability of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
"to respond to changing requirements in the future".

The report, called a Capability Review, is the first ever such study
into the effectiveness of GCHQ, one of three UK intelligence agencies
which, along with MI5 and MI6, are charged with protecting the UK's
national security.
The review warned: "Some of GCHQ's internal processes are overly
complex, which, combined with the number of management layers and
variable quality in its management information, has the potential to
hamper its ability to respond to changing requirements in the future."

It also warned that staff at the GCHQ's bases in Benhall, Cheltenham, as
well as two smaller sites in Cornwall and Yorkshire, pointed "to
multiple management layers, which serve to slow decision making and
hamper real progress".

GCHQ's role is to eavesdrop on a wide variety of electronic
communication signals - including phones and the internet - to extract
information about potential threats.

The review found that "a proliferation of strategies... serves to dilute
its priorities and confuse its staff and partners". The result was that
GCHQ's ability to carry out its main job to protect the national
interest was at risk of being compromised.

The report said: "There is a risk that this lack of strategic coherence
will have an impact on the organisation's focus and its ability to
prioritise effectively in the face of stretching demands in the future."

The quality of information which was presented in the form of
"dashboard" for use by the executive committee was "variable", the
report found.

The report found that the organisation's director Iain Lobban, who
reports to the Foreign Office, had now decided to spend more time in
Whitehall to help ensure that GCHQ "is keeping pace with the changes in
the wider Civil Service".

Although GCHQ was judged to have performed well overall in the review by
the Cabinet Office, it was given an average "development area" mark in
four out of 10 assessment categories.

They included: "take responsibility for leading delivery and change,
"build capability", "focus on outcomes" and "plan, resource and
prioritise".

The review praised GCHQ's recent strategy, published last year, titled
"GCHQ must not just Keep Up – we must Get Ahead".

Eighty per cent of the 5,500 staff who worked at GCHQ were proud to work
there, while just under two thirds of the staff "were clear about how
leaders saw the future".

However the report found that GCHQ's delivery against its diversity
targets was "poor", with not enough women in senior rank, and low
numbers of black, "minority ethnic" and disabled staff.

In a response published in the report, GCHQ added that the organisation
was "determined to tackle" bureaucracy robustly "and have appointed a
senior lead to ensure that we do all we can to remove any unnecessary
hindrances to our agility both now and in the future.

"There is a risk for any organisation working largely in the 'secret'
arena that it becomes insular and impervious to best practice from
elsewhere in the public or private sectors."

A spokesman for GCHQ added: "Given that this is the first time GCHQ has
submitted to the Capability Review we are very happy with the results.

"However, we recognise that much of the value of undertaking the review
is in identifying areas where we need to improve. This we will do with
speed, rigour and professionalism."



daily telegraph

BAE puts faith in fighter planes
Group expects over 200 aircraft to be built annually as Eurofighter
Typhoons delivered to Saudi Arabia.
By Amy Wilson
Published: 4:51PM BST 30 Jul 2009


A Eurofighter Typhoon Photo: Reuters
BAE Systems is confident of meeting full-year profit targets, with an
increase in fighter aircraft deliveries set to make up for the drop-off
in sales of mine-protected vehicles to the US Army. "Combat aircraft is
really driving forward and that's why we feel confident with the
outlook," said Ian King, chief executive. The company has started
delivering Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia, is producing the
second tranche of the Eurofighters for the partner nations, and the
joint strike fighter programme is also "ramping up," and will eventually
see 220 aircraft being built annually.

The European partner countries are expected to sign a contract for the
third tranche of Typhoons today, which would be worth £2bn to BAE. BAE
said it hopes to win further orders for the Typhoon from Saudi, and is
bidding for orders from Oman, Japan and India. Mr King said he hopes to
secure another export order within the next year.
Pre-tax profit for the first half was hit by write-downs in the value of
parts of Armor Holdings and Detica, businesses it bought in the past
couple of years. BAE reported a pre-tax loss of £44m compared with
profit of £791m last year. At the earnings before interest, taxes and
amortisation line, profit rose 19pc to £979m. Sales increased 28pc to
£9.9bn.
The defence giant also reported a £1bn jump in its pension deficit to
£3.1bn, after reducing its future inflation assumption. The increase
weighed on the shares, but BAE stressed the change did not alter the
amount of cash going into the pension scheme or affect its long-term
plan to reduce the deficit.
"The increase change in the pension deficit is a negative," analysts at
Numis said. "The underlying operating business remains extremely
robust." Order intake dropped from £3.3bn to £1.99bn in BAE's land and
armaments unit, which makes Bradley fighting vehicles and MRAP
mine-resistant vehicles for the US military. The company's MRAP order
peaked in 2008 and last month it missed out on a contract to supply the
vehicles to the US in Afghanistan. Mr King said sales of Bradleys and
armoured trucks remain robust and the MRAP program was never part of
BAE's earnings plan. Mr King welcomed the Ministry of Defence's
guarantee last week for shipbuilding work over the next 15 years. The
programme to build two new aircraft carriers for the Navy has been the
subject of speculation because of threats to the defence budget. BAE
raised its first-half dividend by 10.3pc to 6.4p a share, paid on
November 30.