Army chief wades into row over forces

LONDON - The row in London over the shortage of troops and helicopters for the British force in Afghanistan intensified yesterday with the head of the Army saying that more "boots on the ground" were needed.

Ministers were also embarrassed by the disclosure that General Sir Richard Dannatt was travelling in a United States Black Hawk helicopter on his valedictory battlefield tour before stepping down.

"Self-evidently," he said, "if I move in an American helicopter it is because I have not got a British helicopter."

Asked whether criticisms of the Government were justified, Dannatt said: "I don't want to go into whether the Conservatives are right or not ... But our mobility is a key enabler and I know the commanders need a lot of that."

Dannatt stressed: "I don't mind whether these feet in those boots are British, American or Afghan. But we need more to have the persistent effect to give the people confidence in us."

Defence sources pointed out that Nato helicopters are pooled and thus Dannatt was not short of an aircraft, even if a British one was not available.

The General acknowledged: "We share the assets, but we have got to put as much into the pool as we take out."

He said supplying equipment to Britain's 9100-strong force "has probably not moved as fast as I would have liked it to have moved, but we are increasing the numbers".

In angry exchanges in the Commons, Tory leader David Cameron doubted whether the Government had a "relentless commitment" to boosting helicopters. Gordon Brown said: "It is not the absence of helicopters that has cost the loss of lives."

JULY IN AFGHANISTAN
* 46 international troops killed.
* Matches the tolls for the two previous deadliest months, June and August of last year.
* 24 Americans, 15 British killed.

- INDEPENDENT