Compensation to Britain’s most gravely wounded troops to be doubled
July 16, 2008
The Ministry of Defence is all set to double the current level of compensation provided to Britain’s most gravely wounded troops. The maximum payment will go up to £570,000, on top of an assured income payment for life. A smaller rise in the awards will also be given to those service personnel, having sustained less serious or grave injuries.
The measures are part of a comprehensive package that is aimed at making sure personnel and their families are better supported in areas like education and housing. The Defence Secretary, Des Browne, is going to unveil the Command Paper that will set out the new strategy to Parliament.
The developments come after a Royal British Legion campaign put up a demand for service personnel and their families’ fitting treatment as well as recognition – from government and society.
The forces charity believed the Military Covenant, which assures soldiers fair treatment in lieu of other rights, was not being upheld. Relatives of those gravey injured in recent years have campaigned for higher compensation.
A bid to tackle global terrorism by Britain’s secret spy agency
July 14, 2008
Britain’s secret spy agency, known for employing famous male 007 Bonds, is on the lookout for women and minorities in a bid to tackle global terrorism. In response more than 20,000 applicants were received, largely as a result of open recruitment campaign.
As per the declaration from M16′s website, even disabled applicants are welcome. “Women, who are fluent in Mandarin, Arabic, Persian, and the Afghan languages of Dari and Pashto, are the need of the hour.” Speaking on conditions of anonymity, M16′s head said: “The key challenge is the terrorist threat. Government agencies have to show they’re making positive efforts (to diversify) but for us it means much more.”
In 2005, in Britain 52 rush-hour commuters succumbed to terrorist suicide attacks. British law enforcement agency is engaged in watching 21,000 people and 200 plots allegedly having links with Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran and Somali.
One of the M16′s ads pronounces: “There are three strangers in the room that you need to get on your side. How do you get them to warm to you? Could you be operational officer?”
First female British soldier dies in Afghanistan
June 16, 2008
The conflict in Afghanistan has resulted in the killing of the first British female personnel. It has been confirmed that she belongs to the Intelligence Corp. Her convoy was caught in a tragic explosion that killed three other UK troops. The deaths take the toll in the region to 106 since the conflict started in November 2001.
Des Browne, the defence secretary, admitted the last ten days or so in Afghanistan had been ‘extraordinarily difficult’. The latest blast took place east of Lashkar Gah located in the volatile Helmand province. Three troops were killed on the spot and another was declared dead on arrival at Camp Bastion. A fifth soldier injured is being treatedl. His condition is stated to be stable.
David Miliband, the foreign secretary, expressed his ‘deepest condolences’ to the families who had lost ‘sons and daughters’ in the Afghanistan conflict. He admitted the situation in Afghanistan was rather ‘grim’, and added: “This is a very dangerous and difficult terrain in which they are working,” Gordon Brown also sent condolences.
Gordon Brown pays rich tribute to the courage of British troops posted in Afghanistan
June 13, 2008
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has paid rich tribute to the courage of British troops posted in Afghanistan, as the number to sacrifice their lives since 2001 reached 100. His comments came after the news reports of three soldiers being killed in a fatal suicide attack. The soldiers were on foot patrol in Helmand when the blast happened. They were from 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.
Defence Secretary Des Browne informed no loss could be ever compensated for, but he remained convinced that the campaign was ‘the noble cause of the 21st century’. He said, “We are making (significant) progress in Afghanistan. It is slow, sometimes it is frustratingly slow,” he mentioned to BBC Radio Four’s Today. He added: “The reason why we are making the progress is because those very professional and young men and women have gone about their task in such a way that they have created, in the most difficult of circumstances, a degree of security, which many people a couple of years ago thought was (almost) impossible.”
The prime minister stated those who had lost lives had ‘paid the ultimate price’ but had ‘achieved something of lasting value’.
Ageing 007 agents on the way out
February 18, 2008
As UK intelligence Bosses is not in favour of ageing 007s, the British chief of the intelligence M16, has warned that a generation of ageing spies could undermine Britain’s international fight against terrorism. The Telegraph quoted in evidence to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament ,Sir John Scarlett saying: “New Government rules increasing the civil service retirement age could hamper the service’s work around the world.
As a means to cope with an ageing population the age is increased by the ministers paving way for the civil servants to claim a pension from 60 to 65. Sir John, who has more than 2000 staff, was contacted by committee members asking him, in a private session about the possible effects of applying new retirement age to his service, as the change will also cover M16 and M15.
“ We were told that, should this change be implemented in SIS, it could pose problems in terms of overseas deployment of staff and effective intelligence gathering,” the committee said.
There are rules for M16 and M15, which allow certain specialist staff to carry on after retirement age where service chiefs believe they have unique knowledge and skill.
However these rules are applied invariably applied to desk-bound workers. Front- line intelligence officers posted around the world are expected to be physically fit and active. Hence they are deprived of the benefits of these rules.
