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HOWARD'S WAY.... a weekly column from Michael Howard MP

31 August 2006

 

Last weekend’s tragic loss of 14 servicemen in the Nimrod crash in Afghanistan is an occasion for real soul-searching. Our first thoughts go to the families of those who perished who will feel the loss most keenly.

But the tragedy has also turned the spotlight on our operations in Afghanistan. Why are we there? Are we right to be there? And do our brave servicemen and women have the equipment they need?

These questions are entirely legitimate. Not all the answers provided by the Government are satisfactory. But I support our military presence in Afghanistan. It is the country from which, prior to the invasion by Allied Forces after 9/11, Al Qaeda were allowed to prepare their murderous atrocities with impunity. Those atrocities included 9/11 itself.

Even after the fall of the Taliban Government Al Qaeda have been able to operate from some parts of the country and may well have been involved in the 7/7 bombings and the conspiracy to bomb several planes in mid-Atlantic which was thwarted a few short weeks ago.

So it really is vital that the writ of the Kabal government should extend to those areas and that the power of the Taliban should be defeated and destroyed.

To achieve this objective a real international effort is needed. We must certainly play our full part in it but others need to do more. The operation in Afghanistan is a NATO operation and the other members of NATO must make a greater contribution. There is a need for a major diplomatic exercise to bring this about.

But it is also absolutely vital that our brave soldiers and airmen get the equipment they need to do the difficult job we are asking them to do.

The inquiry into what happened to the Nimrod last weekend must be full and thorough. Any lessons that can be learned must be taken fully to heart. Any failure to do so would be an insult to the memory of those who have given their lives on our behalf.