Left in danger: Phased exit from Afghanistan may put Britain's remaining troops at even greater risk

20 Dec 2012 02:00

Billions of pounds worth of weapons and vehicles will be hauled back to the UK and sources claim the best will be taken out of the war zone first

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PA

Thousands of our troops may be in greater danger when Britain starts withdrawing from Afghanistan next year, experts fear.

Military analysts warn those still there may be left with the worst equipment.

Billions of pounds worth of weapons and vehicles will be hauled back to the UK and sources claim the best will be taken out of the war zone first.

Defence adviser Bruce Jones, who has worked for Nato and the Ministry of Defence, explained: ?Only expendable and outdated equipment is to be kept in service and destroyed in the final stages of the withdrawal.?

It is thought many prized MRAP ? Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ? vehicles, costing nearly ?700,000 each, will be taken out early and it is feared our troops will have less protection against the Taliban?s deadly roadside bombs.

Military top brass are drawing up plans to protect soldiers left vulnerable by the withdrawal but our sources claim any phased military pull-out is risky.

Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday 3,800 of Britain?s 9,000 troops in war-torn Helmand will be home by next September.

The remaining 5,200 will be out by the end of 2014, with our allies the Afghan National Army taking over security there.

The Mirror understands 200 special forces troops will remain to train them and take part in counter-terror strikes ? despite a string of ?green on blue? killings of British servicemen by rogue Afghan soldiers.

Russia is allowing Nato to fly military cargo to a giant runway at Ulyanovsk and from there it will go by rail to Latvia?s capital Riga on the Baltic Sea to be shipped home.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/phased-afghanistan-exit-may-put-britains-1497865

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