DEFENDING THE HONOUR

(Major General Andrew Mackay. Photograph: Mark Owens)

A serving General of the British Army has quit protesting poor and shabby treatment to British forces by policy makers in Afghanistan. Many other army officers have followed the General. The recent fiasco is a result of poor allotment of funds, confused direction from politicians and interference in military affairs. Incident has raised many speculations in British media and virtually forced the rethink of attitude towards Servicemen.

It is in complete contrast to India where our Generals are hardly heard in media. Some might speak otherwise, after retirement through seminars and books which hardly arouse any attention. Not surprising to mention that an organisation which is still the only respectably in India has hardly any takers now.

"Army chief quits suddenly as protests over troops mount

An army major general who was extremely critical of the government's treatment of British troops in Afghanistan has suddenly resigned, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.

Andrew Mackay, who was recently promoted general officer commanding of the army in Scotland, the north of England, and Northern Ireland, is the latest high-flying senior army officer to quit early amid protests at the treatment of the forces.

As the brigadier commanding British troops in southern Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008, he said he had felt like a student – getting to grips with Afghanistan, counter-insurgency and managing a large organisation. He said he was struck by the lack of clear direction from above. There was a sense of "making it up as we go along", he said.

Mackay signed a "ground truth" memo, sent to London, which listed serious problems with his soldiers' equipment. It noted that many of the Household Cavalry's elderly Scimitar reconnaissance tanks had defective engines. Tanks labelled "working" could not get into reverse gear without restarting the engine, a limitation "not helpful in combat", the memo said.

A quarter of the Mastiff armoured vehicles were out of action for weeks because of suspension problems, and many of the new Vector armoured vehicles in Helmand were not being used because "the wheels just kept falling off". Heavy machine guns and reinforced Land Rovers were also in short supply, the memo added.

The memo was disclosed earlier this year in the book Operation Snakebite, by Stephen Grey, a journalist who witnessed the recapture of the town of Musa Qaleh from the Taliban, the pivotal operation of Mackay's tour for which he was awarded the CBE.

Other former British commanders in Afghanistan to have resigned prematurely include brigadier Ed Butler, who was commander in southern Afghanistan in 2006 when the then defence secretary John Reid expressed the hope that British troops would not fire a shot in anger.

Butler's decision to quit in 2008 prompted speculation that he was leaving because of frustration at the failure to provide adequate funding for the armed forces. He had spoken of the "well-known constraints and restraints" within which his soldiers were required to operate in combat operations. He resigned soon after Lt Col Stuart Tootal, who left in disgust over what he called the "appalling" and "shoddy" treatment of troops."

( Source: The Guardian, UK)

INGREDIENTS OF A GREAT POWER

Can India really claim to be a great power?

Stephen P Cohen listed following ingredients of a great power:

• The capability to manage the domestic process of economic development and national integration.
• The capacity to resist outside penetration.
• The capacity to dominate regional competitors.
• The capacity to deter outside states from lending support to regional competitors.
• The capacity to achieve command in critical weapon systems or at least be able to bargain successfully for them in a crisis.

Now, let us see these ingredients in the backdrop of India's perceived power status:

• India is second only to Iraq in terms of the attacks she suffers each year in her Home land, whether from internal or external powers.
• India has virtually failed in resisting outside penetration. All her frontiers are ringed by hostile states
• The Mumbai attack painfully undermines India's failure to dominate any regional state and also deter them from launching hostile acts against India.
• Unfortunately, India has completely failed to persuade USA to stop extensive military and financial support to Pakistan; whereas, it has been used against India.
• Pakistan's nuclear proliferation is a known fact now. The bulk of her weaponry is supplied by China. India's failure in her Bofors system, No aircraft carrier for the Navy, now grounding of the entire fleet of Air Force Trainer Jets and DRDO's failure to attract new talent are some the few gross blunders of India. These are at the cost national security.

Post Parliament attack, India ordered the complete mobilisation of her armed forces in haste and  again demobilised after three years. Even the armed were confused about the objectives. The mastermind of parliament attack was awarded death sentence but still continues to remain in jail for years as our leaders have failed to decide on his mercy plea. By 2008, all major Indian cities were attacked by terrorists followed by Mumbai attack.