General "Mike" Jackson is a fucking, lying 2 faced hypocrite.

Ex-British Army chief, General Sir Mike Jackson, has criticised the government of inadequately caring for the Armed Forces in war zones and slammed the MOD staff who don't understand soldiering.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, his remarks echoed those he made at the 31st annual Dimbleby lecture last night, blaming insufficient funding and strategic failings for making troops vulnerable.

He specified poor wages, accommodation and equipment as threatening the "ethos of soldiering", supposed to encourage troops into this risky line of work.

"The country owes them the tools to do that job," General Jackson said.

Seeking to offload the blame still further and exonerate the Army leadership - i.e him, he is reported in the Daily Telegraph (8/12/06)

Asked if Mr Reid was aware of this analysis at the time he signed Britain up to the mission, Sir Mike replied: "I'm sure that advice was given.

"It's for you to make a judgment on what Dr Reid said, not me. It's not misleading. It was perhaps not the full picture, I accept that. He expressed it as a hope." replied the two faced, duplicitous double dealing lying bastard.

There will be some who remember the ethos that General Sir Mike imbued ...which Lord Patel has written about before. The "SAS" duo, captured red handed in Basra, by the much criticised Iraqi Police doing a splendid job , the mechanised raid by six tanks on the Basra prison by the Army to release them, killing 7 Iraqis and injuring 47 - for which HMG paid compensation in double quick time.

They might also remember the man deputed to inquire into the event, Capt. Ken Masters who seen by General Jackson when he was in Basra to discuss the matter. 2 days later he committed suicide by strangling himself with a bootlace, as General Mike was whooping it up at Margaret Thatchers 80th Birthday Party and telling the Times and the world that ..." The Army looks after it's own".

General Jackson looks after himself as this contemporary photograph shows when he resigned shows - it is amusing to compared this public face with the craggy visage we ve all learnt to know and love. Truly a two faced Janus.

For full reports read Lord Patel's previous posts here ....

Where are they Now? Pt 341 General Sir "Mike" Jackson

"Let me make it clear that it was important to retrieve those two soldiers.The British Army looks after its own.” (General Sir Michael Jackson, Chief of the General Staff ,Basra S. Iraq quoted in the Times, 12 Oct 2005)

"There will be few who forget the curious incident when 2 allegedly undercover SAS men wearing comical Arab style clothing were arrested, photographed and imprisoned by Iraqi Police in Basra on September 19th 2005 driving a car loaded with weapons, ammunition and a brand new car jack.

They will also remember the derring do raid on the local prison involving 10 tanks and supporting helicopters to rescue them that night. The raid resulted in the death of 7 Iraqis and a further 43 injured.....

On the 14th October HMG formally almost apologized to Iraq and confirmed that it "will pay compensation for injuries and damage" (Times October 12th)"

Monday, October 17 A Death is Announced in Basra

"A spokesman for the British forces in Basra said: "The commanding officer of 61 Section, Special Investigations Branch, Capt Ken Masters (40), was found dead last night at a military establishment in Iraq, death was "not due to hostile action or natural causes", there was no suicide note.

An inquest at Swindon Coroner's Court, which was heard on 27th June 2006, found that Capt Ken Masters, a senior military police investigator in Iraq, took his own life. At the time he was
suffering from depression brought on by increasing workload and stress.

Warrant Officer Philip Floyd told the court: “He was very conscientious. He had a sense of frustration in that the procedures we had to conduct in the inquiries were hindered by forces outside of our control.”

" The Army looks after it's own". Could be Captain Master's' epitaph.

Maybe it will be carved on the tombstones of the soldiers casually killed in thewake of Tony Blair's distorted vision of a world changing political agenda and a lasting memorial for himself.

For the soldiers killed on Helmand ... of whom Lord Patel wrote

Friday, January 27 2006
Reid sends ill equipped troops to certain deaths in S Afghanistan

Defence Secretary "Dr" John Reid met some of the troops due to die (We expect to take casualties)in Afghanistan. In a nationwide 2 bases *(Salisbury Plain , Dittingham Norfolk, and Otterburn) exercise 3 Para are part of 3000 3,300 army personnel are due to go to the lawless southern region of the country.... read on ..

... the ultimate choking nastiness is that General Jackson , knew the hoplessness of the Afghan task, the lack of equipment, training, air support, the poor pay , the imprecise objectives, the havering of his NATO allies, the formidable foe, the devious political control , the duplicitous drug barons and war lords, the terrain, the sapping heat, searing dust, the cold, difficult supply lines .. and still he sent them... to please the politicians.

This latter day Hannibal, told the Today program.. "Mr Reid had been optimistic to hope troops might spend three years in southern Afghanistan without firing a shot", he said, "adding that it was obvious the Taliban would be resistant to Britain's increased military presence in the region earlier this year."

"He was entitled to his hope and he did express it as a hope, but I think the reality came as absolutely no surprise at all," General Jackson said."

This hand wringing is no good. It is the job of Generals to tell politicians what is possible and what is not. He didn't and the dead troopers, pilots, airmen, drivers, blindly followed .. and leave behind, parents. wives, sweethearts, children and communities bereaved and distraught and the remaining troops in a hopeless, hapless desert mired by ignorant politicians in Death Alley.

Many more will die because of this stupid, ignorant , arrogant, vain , pompous martinet who says, "" The Army looks after it's own".

Tell that to the widows and the orphans General "Mike" Jackson.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck 'im out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll-
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes," when the drums begin to roll.

Tommy Rudyard Kipling

Marines furious at front-line 'pay cut'

Daily Telegraph 30/11/2006

The morale of Royal Marines serving on the front line in Afghanistan has plummeted after a £3,000 allowance was deducted from their wages following a "dreadful blunder" by Royal Navy administrators.