By KUNA,
London : The father of the first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan criticised a UK minister Monday for comments he made following an elite special forces officer’s resignation over poor equipment claims.
Britains Defence Equipment Minister Quentin Davies said Major Sebastian Morley’s accusation that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was guilty of “gross negligence” for failing to provide supply better kit was a “travesty”.
He also said that casualties sometimes resulted after commanders chose the wrong kit for operations.
Des Feely, whose daughter Corporal Sarah Bryant died with several colleagues last June after her snatch Land Rover was blown up, said Davies’ comments “border on an insult to their memory and all others lost in this conflict”.
In a statement printed in The Daily Telegraph newspaper, he added “The MoD speaks of ‘clear priority’ and being ‘absolutely focused’. In reality they stand damned by the results of their failures”.
“Major Morley and others are to be commended for publicising the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of these people who are exposing our soldiers unnecessarily with a ‘just get on with attitude’ to greatly increased risks”.
Feely added “If (soldiers) are hampered in their efforts by substandard equipment, which makes them easy targets for the enemy, this government needs to be held accountable”.
In his resignation letter, Major Morley blamed “chronic under investment” in equipment by the MoD for the deaths of Corporal Bryant and three elite forces soldiers, Corporal Sean Reeve, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin and Paul Stout.