The Generals

The latest inquest into the deaths of four brave soldiers, including the first woman, has revealed weaknesses in training and poor equipment as well as a lack of technique in using what there was. This is not the fault of Ministers. Neither is it a shortage of money since we now know that these wars have so far cost £18 billion on top of the normal defence budget. This is a military inadequacy of planning and command for which Generals are to be blamed. We kowtow to them. We should not. Since the Cold War ended their record is mixed. Time to take a leaf out of Churchill’s book and sack a few.