Mick Smith in The Sunday Times is claiming that the Army is pulling out of combat operations in Afghanistan, handing over to the Americans in order to concentrate on training Afghan forces. Special forces will continue to work with the Americans, he writes, while two British infantry battalions will do the training. A third will become a rapid reaction force, based at Camp Bastion, to bail out the Afghans if they get into trouble.
Army chiefs are supposed to be "angry" and "furious" (when are they not) but the plan is actually no bad thing. It has the merit of transferring the casualty rate to the Americans and Afghans, while allowing "Our Boys" to earn their campaign medals from the safety of their fortified camp.
It will also give them plenty of time to practice creative writing, while The Sun should also be delighted. It will make it easier for its war correspondent to file his copy on bikini-clad lovelies toting their guns. And then there are the girls.
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