How Labour sent the troops into Iraq without the correct military equipment

This from The Times today:

"Britain’s top military commander admitted today that soldiers in Iraq were left without life-saving body armour and even proper boots and clothing because Tony Blair delayed authorising the war plans.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup told the Iraq Inquiry the armed forces had been underfunded in the years leading up to the invasion which led to shortages of equipment.

The Ministry of Defence told Downing Street that the military needed six months to prepare for the war but the Prime Minister only gave four months notice, he said".

Whilst the war in Iraq split the country down the middle, especially with the controversy over '45 minutes' and the like, of one thing everyone is united: It was unforgivable to send our serving soldiers into battle, without the correct military equipment. How Tony Blair and Gordon Brown could have done this, is beyond comprehension.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, has told the Iraq inquiry that:

"Quite clearly not everybody who needed it in theatre got it when they needed it and had it [the orders] been two months earlier then those sort of issues, I think, could have been untangled.”

One of the first British casualties in Iraq, Sergeant Steven Roberts, was shot dead three days after being told to give up his body armour because of the shortage".

The tragedy is that many of our armed forces now fighting in Afghanistan, also without the proper equipment that is needed. It seems that this Labour Government learn nothing from their mistakes. Shameful.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com