Sgt Paul McAleese, 29, died on August 20 after being caught in a blast as he went to help a comrade who was fatally injured in an earlier explosion. His father John McAleese, who was involved in the dramatic raid that ended the 1980 siege on the Iranian Embassy in London, said his son had told him there were not enough troops to monitor areas cleared of explosives. Mr McAleese told the Sun newspaper that British troops were doing "an amazing job considering how under-manned they are", but said the Taliban simply planted more bombs when coalition troops headed back to base. He said the only way to prevent more deaths like his son's was to "swamp" areas with soldiers. Mr McAleese, 60, accused the Prime Minister of being "spineless," saying: "Top brass have repeatedly told Gordon Brown what they need, but he won't listen. The military must be allowed to get on with the job. If not, Brown should sack himself now." Mr McAleese, who said he was speaking out in an attempt to save lives, said politicians who visited Afghanistan only saw "safe" Camp Bastion. he said: "They have no idea what life is really like for these brave men." Sgt McAleese, who was born in Hereford, became a father himself just a week before his deployment to Afghanistan. His wife Jo gave birth to their son Charley. Despite his criticisms, Mr McAleese said British troops should stay in Afghanistan to finish the job, adding that it would be "a huge victory" for the enemy if Britain pulled out now. Sgt McAleese's father-in-law, Stephen Minter, wrote to the Prime Minister earlier this month to say that the family was "extremely angry" because his death had been "needless and avoidable". Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2009, All Rights Reserved.Back troops or quit, hero tells PM
Saturday, 19 September 2009
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