The New Nation - Internet Edition

BRITAIN'S leaked report of procurement programme was hugely 'inefficient' and harming Britain's ability to fight enemies like the Taliban in war-torn Afghanistan. A 296-page leaked report emerged as a former army commander warned that 'a lack of political will' in Britain to provide more troops and equipment for Afghanistan risked seeing British troops lose the fight there. The draft review of the way the British defence ministry acquires new weapons and equipment found the system was riddled with 'endemic failures'. The defence ministry's equipment programme was 35 billion pounds over budget, five years behind schedule, and could not be afforded in the long-term.

According to the leaked report surfaced in London's Sunday Times newspaper, the scale of inefficiency in the ministry of defence was 'harming' the ability to conduct difficult current operations against the Taliban fighters. Questions like - 'how can it be that it takes 20 years to buy a ship, aircraft or tank?, or 'why does it always seem to cost at least twice what was thought?' - remain as the problems, and the sums of money involved, have almost lost their power to shock, so endemic is the issue, as the author of the leaked report is quoted to have said.

The British chief of army staff, Sir David Richards came out with his country's intentions rather specifically - his 'army's role will evolve, but the whole process might take as long as 30 to 40 years'. But the ground reality is different as a British battalion commander with his bitter experience gathered in Afghanistan's troubled Helmand Province said in a report that 'lack of proper support' from London was threatening to undermine the battle against Taliban fighters. There is a real risk of losing the war in Afghanistan; the commander is quoted to have said.