Ex-Iraq envoy admits post-invasion concern

Britain's first ambassador to Iraq for 13 years has admitted to the inquiry into the war that areas occupied by UK troops were under-funded by the US reconstruction.

Edward Chaplin, ambassador in 2004, said that despite billions of dollars being diverted towards Iraq, the majority was spent in and around Baghdad and on security.

'The frustration was that the south, being relatively quiet in this period, was not a very high priority for the Americans,' Mr Chaplin told Sir John Chilcot's inquiry in central London.

'They had a huge reconstruction programme, but on both the military training side and on the reconstruction side not much of that was finding its way down to Basra and that was damaging.

'It reinforced the feeling the south had always been neglected under Saddam Hussein and, so far as they could see, really nothing had changed.'

But Mr Chaplin added that UK forces had still made impressive achievements in the south where they were concentrated around Basra.

'Yes I think so, I can only judge from the reactions of Iraqis we spoke to,' he said.

'But I think in the training of the security and police forces, there was a lot of admiration of the way we went about it.'

Rumsfeld saw UK army in Iraq as 'inevitable'

The Pentagon was planning for the invasion of Iraq on the presumption British troops would be there in support, regardless of events at the UN, the inquiry into the war heard yesterday.

The UK's chief of the defence staff told the inquiry panel that then US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to consider the possibility Britain would not commit troops to the war.

'No matter how many times you said to senior American officers, and indeed Mr Rumsfeld, that we were not committing our forces until we had been through the proper UN process, and had been through parliament as well, there was a complete reluctance to believe that,' Admiral Lord Boyce told the panel chaired by Sir John Chilcot.

'It was a case of, 'Yeah, I know you've got to say that, but come the day you'll be there.' [That] was the attitude.'

Also appearing before the inquiry, which today hosted its first session from senior defence figures, was Sir Kevin Tebbit, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence from 1998 to 2005.

He said the view at the time was that the UK could only influence the outcome of the war by being directly involved.

'Unless and until one had boots on the ground, one did not have serious influence on America,' he said.

Sir Kevin added a denial that then chancellor Gordon Brown denied funds for the war effort.

'At no stage did the chancellor of the exchequer withhold the funds,' he said.

'The problem was a more basic one about the defence budget as a whole. It was just that the defence budget was too small.'

The inquiry will continue to take evidence in public for a series of high profile figures, including military commanders and ministers, over the coming months culminating in the appearance of former prime minister Tony Blair sometime in the new year.

Review pledged over late condolence letters

Gordon Brown has launched an urgent review and apologised unreservedly after it emerged three families whose loved ones died in Afghanistan in 2007 received condolence letters two years after their deaths.

The father of Private Jack Sadler, killed in a roadside bomb in Helmand province in December 2007, complained that he had received a handwritten condolence letter from the prime minister and a typed apology from an aide just last month.

Downing St has since admitted that three families were affected by an 'unacceptable' administrative error in 2007 that led to letters not being sent out.

The row comes just weeks after a mother whose son died in Afghanistan complained a condolence letter from Mr Brown, who has 30 per cent vision after a university rugby accident, was riddled with spelling mistakes.

At a press conference at No 10 this morning alongside the visiting Pakistani prime minister, Mr Brown said: 'The death of any young person under any circumstances is hard to bear and my thoughts are with ever family that has lost a loved one in conflict, whether it has been in Iraq or Afghanistan in recent years.

'I write personally to every family and where there has been an unacceptable error for which I apologise unreservedly and the letter has not been sent I have been made aware of this.'

Ian Sadler, the father of Pte Sadler, from Exmouth, Devon, who died aged 21, had told BBC Radio 4's The Report about the late condolence letter and note from the prime minister's permanent secretary Jeremy Heywood.

'It's not good is it? Nearly two years later and the PM hasn't apologised, just his aide,' he said.

'It goes to show what this present administration thinks of our soldiers.'

Pte Sadler's mother Jeannette MacDonald told Channel 4 News: 'A letter two years after my son died - well meaning though it may be - is too late. It is too late.

'It's too late for all those boys and girls who died, it's too late for all the mothers and fathers that have lost them, all the families that are so affected.'

Speaking to journalists at No 10 earlier today, Mr Brown said: 'I can only apologise to those families and I want to send my heartfelt condolences to them.

'They have my profound thanks for the invaluable contribution that their loved ones had been making to make Britain safe and I understand their grief and their sadness at a time when they have lost so much.'

Freed British sailors arrive in Dubai

The five British sailors detained in Iran for a week have now arrived in Dubai, their original destination before straying into Iranian waters.

Luke Porter, Oliver Smith, David Bloomer, Oliver Young and Sam Usher were released by Iranian officials this morning.

The crew had been travelling from Bahrain to Dubai in the Dubai-Muscat offshore sailing race, onboard the yacht Kingdom of Bahrain, when they strayed 'inadvertently into Iranian waters'.

It is believed the yacht had suffered mechanical problems and had drifted off course.

Speaking outside the Foreign Office this evening Edwin Smith, father of Oliver, said the sailors' relatives were grateful for the work of all those who had brought about their release.

He also praised the decision by the Foreign Office to keep the incident out of the media for the majority of this week, to allow negotiations to take place at a low-key level.

Foreign secretary David Miliband said this morning the incident had never been political and had highlighted the fact that diplomacy could work.

The families of the yachtsmen continually expressed their relief at the news they had been released this evening, although some have seemingly had more contact than others, with one mother claiming she had yet to speak to her son.

The news of their release came this morning after the Revolutionary Guard were quoted in Iranian media as announcing the sailors would be allowed to return to international waters.

'After carrying out an investigation and interrogation of the five British sailors, it became clear that their illegal entry was a mistake,' a statement declared.

'After obtaining necessary guarantees, it was decided to release them.'

UK soldier killed in Afghan explosion

A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, just hours before Gordon Brown announced the deployment of 500 extra troops.

The Ministry of Defence announced the soldier's death several minutes after the prime minister had finished his statement in the Commons on Monday.

'It is my sad duty to confirm that a soldier from First Battalion, Coldstream Guards was killed this morning by an explosion in the Babaji area of Helmand province,' said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesperson for Taskforce Helmand.

'He died doing his duty as a British soldier, among his fellow soldiers, and we will remember him.'

The unnamed soldier, whose next of kin have been informed, is the 236th UK soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since the war began.

Barack Obama is due to announce the new American strategy for the eight-year-old conflict on Tuesday evening.

It is expected to see about 30,000 extra US troops deployed.

Osama Bin Laden was 'within the grasp' of US

A US Senate report has today said the al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was 'within the grasp' of forces.

The Foreign Relations Committee said US troops were within reach of Bin Laden in the mountains of Tora Bora, when calls for US reinforcements were rejected, allowing the terrorist leader to walk free.

The report outlines how the failure to capture Bin Laden at his most vulnerable has had lasting consequences, and laid the foundations for the prolonged Afghan insurgency.

The failure to capture the terrorist leader in the three months after the September 11th attacks in 2001 may have led to the reinvigorated insurgency seen today, the report asserts.

'On or around 16 December [2001], two days after writing his will, Bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan's unregulated tribal area,' the report says. He is still believed to be somewhere in that area today.

Senator John Kerry requested the report, which came as President Obama prepares to send as many as 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Brown confirms extra troops for Afghanistan

Gordon Brown has confirmed an extra 500 British troops will be sent to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Addressing MPs this afternoon the prime minister said the deployment had been rubberstamped following three conditions he had set out earlier in the year having now been met.

The first condition was that there had to be sufficient equipment to support the troops, which was confirmed today with the news the recently-arrived Merlin helicopters had been given the green light for operations, a month ahead of schedule.

The other two conditions were that there was an agreed approach across the coalition to increase troop numbers and an agreement to share the burden, while lastly that the allied actions must be matched by Afghan effort.

Mr Brown said the news that along with the US and the UK eight other countries had pledged extra troops plus assurances from Afghan president Hamid Karzai to boost significantly security forces meant the conditions had been met.

The extra British troops will be deployed in early December to 'thicken' the Helmand force, he announced, adding that by January they would take on a 'partnering role' with the Afghan forces.

The deployment will bring the total number of British service personnel serving in Afghanistan to over 10,000 troops.

The continuing presence of the troops in the county, Mr Brown claimed, would help 'deliver our military strategy of bringing stability' to the country.

Throughout his address the prime minister continually referenced the importance of a stable Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan to the security of Britain and how defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban in the border regions would help keep terrorism from the streets of Britain.

Justifying the military campaign, which has now entered into its eighth year, the prime minister added the work of the British troops was 'creating the space for an effective political strategy to work'.

The prime minister said a conference organised in London next year will see international partners discuss the handing over Afghan districts one by one to local authorities, beginning next year.

Commenting on the British troop numbers, defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said: 'The deployment of 500 extra troops to Afghanistan will help us drive forward the very real progress UK forces are making in building a safe and secure Afghanistan, protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism.

'Putting more British boots on the ground in central Helmand will allow us to thicken our presence and accelerate the training of Afghan forces.

'Our people continue to operate in challenging and dangerous conditions in Afghanistan making sacrifices to support the wider political process that is so critical to success.'

Mr Brown's announcement comes a day before US president Barack Obama makes his long-awaited decision to succumb to the demands of his top military commanders to send some 40,000 extra troops into Afghanistan.

Manning memo next on agenda at Iraqi inquiry

By Richard James
.

The man responsible for producing a memo which documented how US president George Bush was willing to go war in Iraq regardless of whether a second UN resolution was secured is due to appear before the inquiry into the conflict today.

Sir David Manning, who served as UK ambassador to the US between 2003 and 2007, is the latest in a series of high-profile figures to give evidence in public to the five-member panel, chaired by Sir John Chilcot.

His infamous secret memo, which summarised a meeting between former prime minister Tony Blair and Mr Bush in January 2003, months before the invasion of Iraq, attracted considerable attention after it was seen by the New York Times.

The note documents how President Bush told Mr Blair he would invade Iraq regardless of whether a second resolution was secured at the United Nations or whether arms inspectors discovered the elusive weapons of mass destruction.

During the discussions, the former US president also raised three possible ways of prompting a war with Iraq, including the controversial suggestions of flying a US spy plane over Iraq painted with UN colours, hoping Saddam Hussein would fire on it.

On Friday Britain's former ambassador to the UN told Sir John's inquiry the 2003 invasion of Iraq had been 'legal but of questionable legitimacy'.

Iraq invasion 'of questionable legitimacy'

The 2003 invasion of Iraq was 'legal but of questionable legitimacy', Britain's ambassador to the United Nations at the time today said.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock told the inquiry into the war that the legality of the conflict was not challenged within the security council and has not been since in the international court of justice.

But, appearing before Sir John Chilcot's inquiry in central London, he admitted there was a 'failure to establish legitimacy' within individual member states.

The US and Britain faced allegations of launching a legal war after they failed to win crucial French and Russian backing for a UN resolution that would have directly authorised military action.

However, Washington and London fell back on the existing resolution 1441, which they just justified an invasion.

While the French and Russians were 'absolutely determined' to establish the need for a precise decision on the use of force in the resolution, the Americans were 'absolutely determined' to resist this, Sir Jeremy said.

'Those two positions were totally irreconcilable. Then you have a situation where diplomacy got clever.'

He explained that resolution 1441 was 'equivocal' on what would happen in the event of non-compliance. It stated the security council would meet, but did not state they would make any decisions about what to do in this event.

'The US and UK took the terms of 1441 absolutely literally, which is the fair and just thing to do with a resolution that takes on the force of a legal declaration,' Sir Jeremy added.

He said the French and others interpreted the resolution as meaning that in the event of non-compliance it would be the security council which would decide what action to take next.

'We never were active enough after the adoption of 1441 to try and clear up that ambiguity because we thought we'd won the point,' Sir Jeremy explained.

He added that at no point had any member of the security council ever presented evidence to him proving that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction.

The allegation that the White House and Downing St always knew Saddam had no nuclear weapon capabilities or programmes formed the central part of Sir Jeremy's memoirs that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office asked be withdrawn in 2005.

Yesterday the inquiry heard from the UK ambassador to Washington at the time of the Iraq war that the coalition search for a 'smoking gun' had failed.

Sir Christopher Meyer told the inquiry that military preparations for the conflict had undermined UN weapons inspectors.

'And suddenly, because of that, the unforgiving nature of the military timetable, we found ourselves scrabbling for the smoking gun, which was another way of saying 'it's not that Saddam has to prove that he's innocent, we've now bloody well got to try and prove that he's guilty',' he said.

'And we - the Americans, the British - have never really recovered from that because of course there was no smoking gun.'

The inquiry will continue to take evidence in public for a series of high profile figures, including military commanders and ministers, over the coming months culminating in the appearance of former prime minister Tony Blair sometime in the new year.

Six dead soldiers brought home to families

Six soldiers killed while serving in Afghanistan in the last week are to be brought home today.

Five of the soldiers due to be repatriated were killed when an Afghan police officer they were training opened fire at a military checkpoint, while the sixth was killed in an explosion in Helmand province.

Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major) Darren Chant, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards; Sergeant Matthew Telford, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards; Guardsman James Major, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards; Corporal Steven Boote, Royal Military police; and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, Royal Military police, were all killed on November 3rd.

All five were killed when a policeman they were training in Afghanistan opened fire apparently at random, although it has since emerged he may have been a member of the Taliban.

WO1 Chant's wife Nausheen said she was 'devastated' by the loss of her husband. 'Our unborn son will never meet his father, but he will know him through his legacy,' she said.

Sgt Telford's family said: 'Matt was a larger than life character – a gentle giant of a man. He will be sadly missed by his wife Kerry and sons Harry and Callum, his extensive family and friends and his colleagues.'

Cpl Webster-Smith's partner Emma Robinson said she had lost her 'soulmate', while Acting Cpl Boote, known as Booty, was remembered by his family as a 'wonderful, genuine young man'.

Guardsman Major, known as Jimmy, was just 19. His parents said in a statement: 'Jimmy was a tremendous son. He was proud to be a soldier and died doing a job he loved.'

The five will be repatriated along at RAF Lyneham along with Serjeant Phillip Scott, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, who was killed last Thursday.

Sjt Scott leaves behind his wife, Ellen, and two children; Ellie, aged three, and Michael, aged one. Paying tribute to him, his wife said: 'My husband was a very brave man, loved by all his family and a very dear husband and father.'

Repatriation will begin at 11:00 GMT, followed by a private ceremony approximately an hour later. The procession will then continue through Wootton Bassett.

Fort Hood shooting victims named by US army

The 13 victims of a shooting at Fort Hood have been named by the US army.

The incident, which is currently under investigation, saw 13 killed and a further 43 wounded at the military base in Texas.

Major Malik Nadal Hasan, an army psychologist with eight years experience, opened fire with two handguns at Fort Hood - the largest US military base in the world.

Those killed in the attack were: Lt. Col. Juanita L. Warman, 55; Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52; Capt. John P. Gaffaney, 54; Capt. Russell Seager, 51; Staff Sgt. Justin Decrow, 32; Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29; Spc. Jason Hunt, 22; Pfc. Frederick Greene, 29; Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, 19; Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22; Pfc. Kham Xiong, 23; Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21 and Chief Warrant Officer, retired, Michael Cahill, who was a civilian employee.

Secretary of the Army, Hon. John McHugh said it was the heroic actions of Fort Hood's first responders who prevented a bad situation from getting worse.

'Their actions saved lives,' he said during a press conference on Friday.

While chief of staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. said: 'We take care of our own. We will grieve as a family.

'We will stay focused on our missions around the world.'

Soldier's mother attacks PM over typos

Gordon Brown has been criticised by the mother of a solider whose name he misspelled in a condolence letter.

Grenadier Guardsman Jamie Janes, 20, from Brighton, was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on October 5th.

His mother Jacqui received a hand-written letter from the prime minister following his death.

The Sun newspaper has now claimed the letter was in fact riddled with errors and barely legible.

Mrs Janes, 47, told the paper the letter had even started incorrectly with 'Dear Mrs James'.

'He couldn't even be bothered to get our family name right. That made me so angry,' she said.

'Then I saw he had scribbled out a mistake in Jamie's name. The very least I would expect from Gordon Brown is to get his name right.

'The letter was scrawled so quickly I could hardly even read it and some of the words were half-finished. It's just disrespectful.'

The Sun claims there were four other spelling mistakes in the letter.

A statement released by Downing Street in response to the allegations said the prime minister, who only has 30 per cent vision in both eyes, spent a 'great deal of time' writing to the families of dead soldiers.

'The reason he personally writes to every family is to acknowledge the debt of gratitude owed by the country to those who have died to protect the people of Britain,' a spokesperson said.

'He would never knowingly misspell anyone's name.'

The allegations of insensitivity come as Mr Brown and the government continue to attempt to placate the public's fears the war in Afghanistan has now become unwinnable as the campaign extends into its eighth year.

Britain remembers war dead

A two-minute silence was recognised this morning in memory of the troops who have fought and died in combat in the armed forces.

The traditional moment's reflection took place at 11:00 GMT across the United Kingdom, with homes and businesses observing the silence.

The 2009 memorial is the first since the last surviving veterans of the first world war passed away, although there was also heavy focus on the more recent ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Remembrance Sunday has unfortunately coincided with the death of another two serviceman in Helmand province - the 94th and 95th Britons to be killed on duty in Afghanistan this year alone. In total there have been 232 deaths among the UK forces stationed there.

As is now traditional, the Queen led a commemorative service at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London - laying the first wreath at the foot of the monument.

She was followed by the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the royal family including Prince Harry and the Princess Royal.

Wreaths were also laid by prime minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

No more UK blood for 'corrupt Afghanistan'

In a week when seven UK soldiers died in Afghanistan, Gordon Brown has warned he will not risk British lives for a corrupt government.

In a major speech in central London this morning the prime minister said the Afghan government had become a 'byword for corruption'.

The UK is 'not prepared to put the lives of British men and women in harm's way for a government that does not stand up against corruption', he said, following the re-election of Hamid Karzai this week.

Mr Brown said Afghanistan needed new corruption laws and an international adviser to oversee the process.

'Croneys and warlords have no place in the future of a democratic Afghanistan,' he said.

Mr Brown brought forward a speech on Afghanistan after an especially bloody week for UK troops in Afghanistan that saw five die in a single incident when a 'rogue' policeman they were mentoring opened fire at a military checkpoint.

The deaths of Warrant Officer First Class Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major, all from First Battalion the Grenadier Guards, and Acting Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the royal military police has led to fresh questions about the UK army's role in Afghanistan's restoration.

In the days before Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid had been killed by an improvised explosive device he was trying to defuse, while an as-yet unnamed soldier died in a similar incident yesterday, taking the UK death-toll to 230.

In his speech today Mr Brown laid out five areas that President Karzai's new administration must address: Security, governance, reconciliation, economic development and relationships with neighbouring countries.

'He needs to swiftly set out a positive agenda for his second term, creating a contract with the Afghan people so that Afghans and the international community can judge his success,' he said.

During conversations with President Karzai this week Mr Brown said he had repeated that a deployment of 500 extra troops, which would take the UK military presence to 9,500, was dependent on progress in these areas. But mentoring of the Afghan army and police would continue, he said.

He insisted that the international strategy that the UK was part of differed from previous interventions as it sought to empower Afghans; moving from 'straightforward counterterrorism to more complex counter-insurgency' on the military side.

But he said Britain 'cannot, must not and will not walk away' from the eight-year conflict.

The prime minister added that the UK soldiers based in Afghanistan would be remembered by future generations in the same way as those who fought in the first and second world wars.

'And just as in the past we learned of the bravery and sacrifice of British soldiers in the first and second world wars; in their fight to protect freedom both in our nation and the world; so our children will learn of the heroism of today's men and women fighting in Afghanistan - protecting our nation and the rest of the world from the threat of global terrorism,' Mr Brown said.

UK soldier killed in Afghanistan explosion

The Britis

h army is mourning another death in Afghanistan after an explosion claimed the life of a UK soldier in Helmand province.

Two days after five soldiers were killed by a rogue policeman at a military checkpoint, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said a soldier had died on Thursday morning in a blast in Sangin.

The MoD, which said the soldier's next of kin had been informed, paid tribute to the fallen soldier.

'It is with deep sorrow I must inform you that a British soldier, one of our own, was killed this morning,' said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Taskforce Helmand.

'A fellow soldier taken from us in this conflict; his sacrifice will not be forgotten.'

The UK death-toll in Afghanistan now stands at 230 following Tuesday's bloody incident and yesterday's explosion.

Tributes to 'betrayed' soldiers

Tributes h

ave been made to the five British soldiers killed on Tuesday by the Afghan policeman secretly working for the Taliban.

Gordon Brown said the deaths were a 'terrible loss' for the UK mission in Afghanistan, while defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said the betrayal by someone they were working alongside was a 'particular tragedy'.

Warrant Officer First Class Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major, all from First Battalion, the Grenadier Guards, and Acting Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the royal military police all died in Tuesday's shooting at a checkpoint in Helmand province.

The prime minister was due to make a major speech on Afghanistan on Friday to offer reassurances over fears of Taliban infiltration in the Afghan national police (ANP).

On Thursday the Ministry of Defence released tributes to the five dead soldiers from their families and officers.

Warrant Officer (First Class) Chant was leading the team mentoring a number of ANP officers at the fatal checkpoint that led into the bazaar at Nad-e-Ali.

The Walthamstow-born soldier, 40, was described as being carved from the 'very rock that forms the foundations of a regiment'.

On the day he died he was informed of a commission in the Grenadiers as an officer.

WO1 Chant leaves behind his wife Nausheen and three children from his previous marriage, Connor, 16, Adam, ten, and Victoria, eight.

Mrs Chant said she was 'devastated' by the loss of her husband.

'Our unborn son will never meet his father, but he will know him through his legacy,' she said.

'For whether in uniform or out, his incomparable courage and selflessness humbled all those who knew and loved him.'

His Commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker added: 'All that remains here is an enormous gap in our ranks; but in time our memories of him will overfill the void.'

Sergeant Telford was also part of the team mentoring ANP officers.

The 37-year-old, from Grimsby, was described as a 'gentle giant' by his comrades, a thoughtful and caring family man 'who would work tirelessly all hours of the day to help someone out'.

Sgt Telford leaves behind his wife Kerry and their two sons. In a statement his family said: 'Matt was a larger than life character – a gentle giant of a man. He will be sadly missed by his wife Kerry and sons Harry and Callum, his extensive family and friends and his colleagues.'

Cpl Webster-Smith, known as Nic or W-S, was described as an 'irreplaceable son, brother boyfriend and friend' by his family and partner Emma Robinson, who said she had lost her 'soulmate'.

'One of the most loving, generous, kind-hearted men you could meet,' his family said in a statement of the 24-year-old, from West Wales.

'He always put others first and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Nic will forevermore always be in our hearts.'

Cpl Webster-Smith's colleague in the royal military police, Acting Cpl Boote, known as Booty, was also in the territorial army.

The 22-year-old, from Liverpool, had aspirations of joining the police and was described as a motorbike-fanatic by his family, who said he was a 'wonderful, genuine young man'.

'He would light up a room with a single smile and left a lasting impression on all he met,' they said.

'A son and friend who can never be replaced, but never be removed from our hearts. An only child but never alone, who through family and friends led a full and happy life.'

Guardsman Major, known as Jimmy, was just 19. Part of a 16-man team mentoring ANP officers, he had recently become top cover gunner with his commanding officer's tactical group.

The teenager had already made a 'strong impression' on his comrades despite his short time in the army, his officers said.

He leaves behind his mother Kim, father Adrian, brothers Lewis and Daniel, sister Paige and grandparents Harry and Pat Gilliatt, and June and Fred Major

They said in a statement: 'Jimmy was a tremendous son. He was proud to be a soldier and died doing a job he loved. We are devastated by the loss of Jimmy. He was a loving son, brother and grandson and a dear friend to everyone. We are proud of the fact that Jimmy was prepared to do his duty, helping the people of Afghanistan.'

Defence secretary Mr Ainsworth added these words: 'The memory of WO1 Darren Chant, Sgt Matthew Telford, Cpl Nicholas Webster-Smith, Acting Cpl Steven Boote and Guardsman James Major, will live on. They were men of courage who died building security in Afghanistan and protecting people in the UK from terrorism.

'My deepest sympathies and condolences lie with their grieving families, friends, and all those who served alongside them who will feel the pain of loss most intensely. They are in all our thoughts.'

'Rogue' Afghan policeman kills 5 UK soldiers

Five British soldiers have been shot dead in southern Afghanistan after an Afghan policeman opened fire inside a military checkpoint, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

Three of the soldiers were from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military police.

The soldiers' next of kin have been informed and an investigation into the attack has been launched.

The MoD said in a statement released this morning all five of the soldiers were killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack in the Nad-e'Ali District of Helmand province on Tuesday afternoon.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Taskforce Helmand said: 'It is with the deepest sadness I must inform you that five British soldiers were shot and killed yesterday in Nad-e'Ali district.

'Five British soldiers, five of our own, shot down in the course of their duty. They will not be forgotten.'

Later in TV interviews, Lt Col Wakefield claimed it appeared an individual policeman had opened fire inside the checkpoint before fleeing the scene.

The deaths take the number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 229.

Commenting on the news defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said: 'I was extremely saddened to hear of the deaths of these courageous soldiers.

'My very deepest condolences go out to their families, friends and colleagues as they come to terms with the loss of these outstanding men.

'It continues to be a difficult year in Afghanistan for our brave people who are operating within the most challenging area of the country. We owe it to them to show the resolve that they exhibit every day in building security and stability in Afghanistan and protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism.'

Gordon Brown also released a statement paid tribute to the soldiers.

'The death of five brave soldiers in a single incident is a terrible loss,' the prime minister said.

'They fought to make Afghanistan more secure, but above all to make Britain safer from the terrorism and extremism which continues to threaten us from the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.'

'Bravest of the brave' UK soldier mourned

Tributes have been paid to the British bomb disposal expert killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on Saturday.

Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid, known as Oz, died when a roadside bomb his improvised explosive device disposal (IEDD) team was trying to defuse went off.

The 30-year-old's widow said she had lost her 'soul mate', which his commanding officer described him as 'simply the bravest and most courageous man I have ever met'.

SSgt Schmid, who died in the Sangin region of Helmand province, had been in Afghanistan since June 10th and took part in this summer's Operation Panther's Claw, during which time he and his team defused 64 IEDs.

His wife Christina, who he lived with in Winchester with stepson Laird, said in a statement: 'Oz was a phenomenal husband and loving father who was cruelly murdered on his last day of a relentless five-month tour. He was my best friend and soul mate. The pain of losing him is overwhelming. I take comfort knowing he saved countless lives with his hard work. I am so proud of him.'

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thomson, the staff sergeant's commanding officer, led tributes for the Cornwall-born soldier from the army.

'No matter how difficult or lethal the task which lay in front of us, he was the man who only saw solutions,' he said.

'He saved lives in 2 Rifles time after time and for that he will retain a very special place in every heart of every rifleman in our extraordinary battle group. Superlatives do not do the man justice. Better than the best. Better than the best of the best. Our thoughts and prayers are with his beloved family.'

SSgt Schmid's death brings the UK military death-toll in Afghanistan to 224.

Col Thorneloe 'warned MoD over helicopter risk'

The most senior British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan complained in the weeks before his death that a shortage of helicopters was risking the safety of troops.

Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, wrote a memo to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) less than a month before he was killed in July saying helicopter movements were not fit for purpose, according to the Daily Mail.

The commander died with Trooper Joshua Hammond on July 1st, when their convoy was hit by an improvised explosion device (IED) in Helmand Province, north of the town of Lashkar Gah.

According to the newspaper, the Lieutenant Colonel wrote that the level of helicopter support available for his troops was 'unsustainable'.
'I have tried to avoid griping about helicopters – we all know we don't have enough,' he said in a weekly report.

He added: 'We cannot not move people, so this month we have conducted a great deal of administrative movement by road.

'This increases the IED threat and our exposure to it.'

In July, prime minister Gordon Brown insisted a lack of helicopters was not responsible for any loss of lives in Afghanistan.

The memo, classified Nato Secret, was leaked by an MoD official to Tory MP Adam Holloway, who passed the documents to the Daily Mail.

British soldier killed in Afghanistan

A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The death of the man, from the Royal Logistic Corps, brings the total number of UK military personnel killed in Afghanistan to 224.

He was killed in Sangin, in Helmand province, on Saturday.

A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said: 'It is with great sadness I confirm that a soldier from the Royal Logistic Corps died in an explosion in Helmand Province.

'He will be missed by us, his comrades, but he will not be forgotten.'
Next of kin have been informed, the MoD said.