Old joke, but worth re-telling

“One should never confuse situational awareness with knowing what is actually going on”

British Officer in Iraq

Ministry of Defeat 2003-2009: The British in Iraq

Richard North

It is sheer folly to go into war, ill equipped and under strength. Sadly, our valiant troops, in Iraq, were both ill equipped and under strength until the inevitable happened. They were defeated and had to withdraw in 2008. Richard North's “Ministry of Defeat” reads like a thorough and comprehensive brief for the prosecution of both the Ministry of Defence and some politicians for their role in the unnecessary deaths of many young servicemen and women in Iraq during the period after the invasion. It is a lengthy book, which could take a little editing, but it is well researched, well written and comprehensively cross referenced, ideal for anyone who struggles to understand why Southern Iraq descended into chaos under British control. The non-military reader might want to skim read the first few lengthy chapters as they slowly build up the background to failure in Iraq in a very thorough manner, and move on to the latter chapters where the “prosecution” sets out its case.

North explains why the troops of other nations in Iraq were equipped with vehicles that provided defence against the IEDs and EFPs (Improvised Explosive Devices and Explosively Formed Projectiles) that, although crudely manufactured, were proving so effective against the army's unprotected snatch landrover in which our troops were sent out on suicide missions. The USA provided its troops with vehicles protected against the various threats in Iraq and Afghanistan and benefited from positive leadership from Robert Gates and General Petraeus. Britain, in contrast, provided badly protected vehicle after badly protected vehicle. There was no lack of spending just a total lack of intelligent purchases. The British media had given itself over to entertainment long ago so both the MOD and Government were given an easy ride, and were allowed to control the news, spinning tale after tales of good news and of new, ill suited military toys. The contrast with the American view is stark. There General Petraus was saying

“Get accurate information of significant activities to the chain of command, to Iraqi leaders, and to the press as soon as is possible. Beat the insurgents, extremists, and criminals to the headlines, and pre-empt rumours. Integrity is critical to this fight. Don't put lipstick on pigs. Acknowledge setbacks and failures, and then state what we've learned and how we'll respond. Hold the press (and ourselves) accountable for accuracy, characterisation, and context. Avoid spin, and let the facts speak for themselves.”

If this book represents an accurate picture of criminal incompetence, which it appears to do, with its research well referenced, then, surely, criminal proceedings against the most culpable are already overdue. From my office, I see the regular flights of C17 aircraft begin their slow respectful descent into RAF Lyneham carrying the latest cargo of coffins, the reason for their only too regular flights detailed by Richard North. However, I do not see the many soldiers repatriated without legs, blown off in poorly protected vehicles. Someone will provide those horrific figures one day as well as the death figures

This book is much much more than just a blow by blow account of our defeat in Iraq and the lessons not learned for Afghanistan. It provides a snapshot of British leadership in the early 21^st century, a military and government leadership that seems incapable of understanding problems, for which it leaps around providing wrong solution after wrong solution, on which it wastes taxpayers money, and then refuses to accept any blame for the inevitable disasters. Where are the men and women of the past of vision, who could cut through stultifying organisations that these days seem to engulf and destroy all who enter them? Where is the system that used to promote our young visionary leaders to positions of power? North finishes with a quote from Norman Dixon's 1976 book, “On the psychology of Military Incompetence

”Since authoritariansim is itself a product of psychological defences, authoritarian organisations are past masters at deflecting blame. They do so by denial, by rationalisation, by making scapegoats, or by some mixture of the three. However it is achieved, the net result is that no real admission of failure or incompetence is ever made by those who are really responsible; hence nothing can be done about preventing a recurrence.”

“Ministry of Defeat” or “The British War in Iraq 2003 – 2009”, Richard North, Continuum, 2009 ISBN 9781441169976

"Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God's help, it will continue to be."

Gerald Ford (05/12/1974)NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER PROCLAMATION. Also quoted by Dwight David Eisenhower

“Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle. . . chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field; that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome _insects_ of the hour.” EDMUND BURKE Irish orator and statesman (1729 - 1797)

not an english hospital

Daniel Hannan, MEP seems to have put the cat amongst the pigeons by voicing his long held views that the NHS needs to be reformed into a Singapore type health system. Sadly, debate seems to have been squashed before it has even started. As he says:

The Singapore system produces better outcomes than ours for half the price. If we spent the same percentage of GDP on healthcare as now, but put equivalent power in the hands of our consumers, it seems not unreasonable to suppose that we would be much healthier. (Incidentally, the state pays for those who can’t afford their own accounts in Singapore, as in every developed country. It never ceases to amaze me how many British people have been convinced that free healthcare for the poor is a unique property of the NHS.)

This is just the sort of debate that we should be having, but as John Prescott, ex Deputy Prime Minister, says about Daniel Hannan:

He's activelty campaigning with the Republicans and Sarah Palin in the US to stop America moving to a fairer healthcare system, saying he wouldn't wish the NHS on anybody! ... As we said before, the mask is slipping and Hannan is the true face of 'caring' Conservatism.

A 'fairer' system where everyone gets a degraded service, hardly seems fair to me. Those who work in the NHS do a wonderful job but we cannot continue sliding down the slippery slope of greater and greater cost for a more and more rationed service. Something will give, if we don't own up to the problems and try and sort them out.

Hopefully, a reasoned debate can be had.

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See also:

David Cameron, Conservative Party Leader, We are proud of the NHS

Fox news, Daniel Hannan Blasts Health Care Proposal

This comment is to be found on We are proud of the NHS

Comment by Clarkee73 on Aug 13 2009, 21:39

I agree with the princiles of the NHS but struggle with it on a day to day basis.

I have a significant knee injury and the NHS in Hertfordshire is far too slow. I run my own business and from a referral in June, I don't get to see a consultant until August with a further wait for surgery until either October or November.

Couple that with seeking incapacity allowance (or whatever it is called now) and still not having this sorted is a complete waste of time. Different departments do not share information and this leads to massive frustration.

The NHS needs to be funded more like the private sector, respond to the needs of patients and be able to respond. 18 weeks for treatment is incorrect and in my case and I suspect many others far too long to wait.

It will only be when all services are joined up, not supplying the same information to different departments and then looking at the clinical need of patients will this work.

As for me, I am extremely lucky to have a brother who out of his own pocket is paying for my surgery. Far quicker than the NHS that as a 40% tax payer for 20 years, I receive absolutely no benefit at all. I would suggest a tax break for a situation like this but I guess that this will fall on deaf ears. It is all about the headlines.

I would welcome a comment but I never expect to receive one.

It is all not too rosy out there and I would suspect that others such as I are feeling a bit disgruntled with the whole thing.

NHS needs more funding but it also needs the back up from the government to ensure that it is all one department, not seperate entities but I guess that you dont want to hear that

Matt Clarke

Andrew Symeou in Greece

At last the case of Andrew Symeou is beginning to gain some column inches, this time in The Sunday Times. The paper makes the basic points:

Andrew Symeou, 20, was imprisoned in a tiny cell and forced to sleep on a concrete block with five other prisoners in police detention on the Greek island of Zante, his father Frank said last week.

Symeou, from Enfield, north London, is accused of killing a fellow British teenager with a punch in a Zante nightclub in 2007. He was extradited 10 days ago under the fast-track European arrest warrant.

Under the scheme, introduced in 2003, UK citizens can be extradited to other European Union states without a British court having to see the basic evidence against them. Symeou’s parents said this weekend the evidence against Andrew had been fabricated by local police officers who beat admissions out of two witnesses.

They said their son was a victim of mistaken identity and that there were eight witnesses who would testify that he was hundreds of yards from the scene of the crime.

Greek Tragedy - Private Eye Issue 1242

Private Eye has also updated its report, in Issue 1242. The Eye reminds us of the differences between British justice and Greek 'justice', saying:

Andrew Symeou ... is now likely to spend months in a Greek jail before his case is even heard, after Law Lords here refused to hear his appeal against extradition.

Mr Symeou, now aged 20, was extradited under the fast-track European arrest warrant system last month, without any British court considering the supposed evidence that he was responsible for the manslaughter of a fellow holidaymaker in Zante in 2007. The Eye – which has seen the evidence assembled by Greek police – described their case last August as “flawed, contradictory and in places ludicrous”.

Jago Russell, chief executive of Fair Trials International, agrees saying: “The case against Andrew Symeou is built on mistaken identity, conflicting evidence and a flawed police investigation.”

...

Surely the question of whether someone should be extradited to face trial abroad without even considering allegations of police misconduct, including violent intimidation of witnesses, is a matter of public importance.

Fair Trials International and Justice in Europe

Thomas Jefferson to Elbridge Gerry, 1799

Private Eye

As Andrew Symeou faces his last night of freedom, for a while, Jonathan Morgan AM Conservative Assembly Member for Cardiff North criticises the media coverage of Andrew's extradition to Greece. He seems to be forgetting how many people have criticised many aspects of this case. Most recently, the pro-EU London Liberal Democrat MEP, Baroness Sarah Ludford said on June 2nd:

"In backing the European Arrest Warrant benefits of cutting delays and red tape for bringing criminals such as one of the London bombers to justice, Liberal Democrats insist that this must not be at the expense of civil liberties. The safeguards provided for must be invoked if there is clear evidence as in this case of abusive police behaviour."

Jonathan Morgan quite rightly raises the plight of the Hiles family, whose son died in Greece. While the Hiles family might see this extradition as the only way to see progress in the case of their son, extraditing the wrong person will not help, if the evidence aired to date is anything to go by. Jonathan Morgan is quoted in Wales Online as saying:

“The Cardiff North AM, who is a family friend of the Hiles family, said: “The coverage has been more about the accused than it has been about the horror and the agony that the Hiles family have faced and than the fact a very talented young man lost his life in the worst of circumstances.

“Even BBC Wales have focused more on this so-called injustice in London and less on the need to ensure justice. A trial needs to take place. If he’s not guilty, the courts will find him not guilty. The Symeou campaign has had a huge amount of airtime that hasn’t been accorded to Jonathan’s family. We’re living in the 21st century. This is not a 19th-century system of justice where we can’t rely on other countries to go through the proper processes.”

If Jonathan Morgan had been in the High Court in March, he might have a different view of which country was exhibiting a “19th-century system of justice”. If he fully understood the considerable differences between Greece's Civil Law system and England's Common Law system, he might understand why this extradition should not be taking place.

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