I have been watching the TV series “Ross Kemp in Afghanistan”.
While I appreciate that what this series depicts is what can be captured on film by a crew and what the Brits allow them to show.
However, what one sees of how the British troops operate there is cause for great alarm.
Take the last segment of the second season for example.
There is this place Kajaki where troops are stationed to guard a hydroelectric scheme. The promise is that once complete the scheme will provide electricity to 1.7m people somewhere down the line.
On one of the shots a line of power pylons can be seen extending off into the distance. If anyone thinks the power will flow if the TB don’t want it to they are in denial.
Again we have vehicles (seemingly critical to the operations) with these called 'Jackals' having mounted MMGs and called the fire support group (FSG). Sounds impressive.
Their task seems to be to clear routes for patrols of IEDs (did I hear correctly?)
Ross Kemp says to them “so your job is really to fight the minefield”, and as one they say “yea”.
WTF!
Ok so now Ross Kemp joins them on an ‘operation’. The FSG are to provide fire support to the infantry so off they go driving down the road up to a point when the road has to be cleared by dismounted ‘engineers’ on foot (shades of the Portuguese in Mozambique – late 60s early 70s) .
Not a tree in sight only the mud walls around the now deserted compounds. Vision as far as the eye can see.
Kemp then says: “We are very close to the enemy now and very exposed”
“We are now moving up to a piece of high ground which we will use and obviously the Taliban know that they use it and its frequently IED.”
“Progress is slow giving the Taliban plenty of time to prepare an attack.”
So we hear that ‘V Company’ is clearing a route to the top of the hill for the vehicles.
They get fired upon and all run back to the vehicles, ground troops walk in and take up positions on the open on the ground . After 4 hours of doing nothing the ground troops withdraw. The FSG then withdraw and are fired upon (the odd shot) so use mortar smoke to cover their ‘move’ (I’m being polite here) back to base.
A successful operation?
How would the Taliban have seen this? Probably, no, certainly they would have seen this as a victory. The Brits drove up to the hill as they were nearing the top they were fired upon so they brought in some foot soldiers and lay around for 4 hours and then went home and as they were leaving the TB fired a few parting shots at them which caused the Brits to use mortar smoke to cover their withdrawal back to their base.
I can just hear the TB singing their victory songs.
So what was the point of this?
(more to follow)