Nato foreign ministers have snubbed Gordon Brown‘s plans for a staged withdrawal from the districts of Helmand by agreeing to handover reponsibility to local officials on a province by province basis.

British troops could be the last to leave Afghanistan after it emerged that a new “road map” for handing over control would not include the southern provinces.  Read more... (404 words, 1 image, estimated 1:37 mins reading time)

The full body scanners being introduced to Britain’s airports risk breaking child protection laws against making indecent images of children, campaign groups have claimed.

The pictures created by the scanners are so graphic they are tantamount to “virtual strip searching”, according to privacy campaigners who oppose the use of the security devices.

Ministers may be forced to consider making under-18s exempt from the scans and civil liberties campaigners are demanding measures to ensure the images, which will include those of celebrities, are not leaked onto the internet. Airport officials say the images from the £80,000 scanners are only seen by a single security officer in a remote location before it is deleted.  Read more... (398 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Wootton Bassett prepared to honour two more fallen British soldiers on Tuesday as a controversial Islamic group pressed ahead with plans for a march through the town.

Islam4UK said it would apply to police ”in the next few days” to march through the Wiltshire town famous for honouring dead British troops, despite calls for it to be called off.

Hundreds of people will line the streets today to pay their respects as the the bodies of Rifleman Aiden Howell and Sapper David Watson being driven along the High Street. Sapper Watson, 23, of 33 Engineer Regiment – a bomb disposal expert – and Rifleman Howell, 19, of 3rd Battalion the Rifles were killed in Afghanistan in the last week of December.  Read more... (511 words, 1 image, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

Anjem Choudary, the leader of a radical Islamic group, has admitted his plan to hold a protest march through the town of Wootton Bassett is a publicity stunt to bring attention to his extreme views. Mr Choudary has caused dismay with plans to parade through the town famous for honouring service personnel killed in Afghanistan, while carrying empty coffins.

The Prime Minister voiced his concern at the Islam4UK plans, and warned that any such protest march would be “completely inappropriate”. “We do not yet know what his plans are. The only thing he seems to have said is that it is an idea he is considering. He would need to have the appropriate contact with the right people in Wootton Bassett to secure approval,” Gordon Brown‘s spokesman said.  Read more... (1176 words, 1 image, estimated 4:42 mins reading time)

Friends of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan have spoken of their anger at plans by a controversial Islamic group to march through the town which honours fallen troops.

The Union flag-draped coffins carrying Rifleman Aidan Howell and Sapper David Watson were driven through Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire for their repatriation today.

Sapper Watson, 23, of 33 Engineer Regiment – a bomb disposal expert – and Rifleman Howell, 19, of 3rd Battalion the Rifles, were killed in Afghanistan in the last week of December.  Read more... (605 words, 1 image, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

The prime minster has issued a warning to a radical Islamic group planning a protest march through a Wiltshire town famous for honouring fallen soldiers.

Islam4UK, said to have extremist links, has written to bereaved families about plans to march through Wootton Bassett.

Gordon Brown said anything which families of dead or wounded troops could find offensive would be “completely inappropriate”.

Anjem Choudary, of Islam4UK, said he chose the town to attract publicity. The town’s mayor Steve Bucknell said his council would be vigorously opposing any march.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray echoed his call and said “Mr Choudary should go somewhere else”.  Read more... (664 words, 1 image, estimated 2:39 mins reading time)

THE bodies of the last two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan last year were being driven through Wootton Bassett today as controversy raged about a planned march through the town by Islamic extremists.

Rifleman Aidan Howell, 19, and Sapper David Watson, 23, were the 107th and 108th British military personnel to lose their lives fighting the Taliban last year.

Their repatriation, first to RAF Lyneham and then to Oxford via Wootton Bassett, came amid outrage at a proposed march through the Wiltshire town by radical group Islam4UK. It plans to carry empty coffins through the streets to symbolise Muslims “mercilessly murdered” in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Read more... (355 words, 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

Any protest march which offended the families of soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan would be considered ”completely inappropriate” by Gordon Brown, Downing Street has said.

Gordon Brown’s spokesman issued the warning after the leader of a controversial Islamic group vowed to continue with plans for a march through Wootton Bassett.

Anjem Choudary of Islam4UK – a branch of the extremist al-Muhajiroun movement – sparked dismay with plans for 500 members to parade with empty coffins symbolising Muslim victims through the town, which has become famous for honouring service personnel killed in the conflict. Civic leaders have begged Mr Choudary to reconsider his proposal and a Facebook site dedicated to preventing the march has already attracted more than 120,000 members.  Read more... (603 words, 1 image, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

Gordon Brown has condemned plans by a controversial Islamic group to stage a march through Wootton Bassett – the town synonymous with honouring soldiers killed in Afghanistan. It comes after the leader of Islam4UK, Anjem Choudary, vowed to continue with the idea in the Wiltshire town despite repeated calls to drop it.

Civic leaders have asked Mr Choudary to reconsider his proposal for 500 members to walk through Wootton Bassett’s High Street carrying empty coffins.

And a Facebook site dedicated to preventing the march has already attracted more than 120,000 members.  Read more... (683 words, 1 image, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)

More than half of the Army’s armoured vehicles in Afghanistan are not “fit for purpose”, new figures have shown.

Many are out of action being repaired or refurbished after spending time in the punishing desert conditions.

The stock of unuseable vehicles include 180 Mastiffs and Ridgbacks which were sent to the country to protect servicemen and women from the growing threat of sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). There are just 358 of a total 653 Snatch Land Rovers in working condition. They were previously used on patrols around Helmand Province but were confined to use on military bases after a public outcry over IED deaths of those travelling in them.  Read more... (336 words, 1 image, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)