General Sir David Richards -- fit for purpose ???

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt is pleased to announce that Her Majesty The Queen has graciously approved his recommendation that he be succeeded by General Sir David Richards. Currently serving as Commander-in-Chief Land Forces, General Sir David Richards will take up post as Chief of the General Staff in August 2009.

This was the same General Sir David Richards who as Lieutenant-General David Richards was the the commander of the British contingent of Nato forces in Afghanistan and whose gay club bouncer and dance instructor from Brighton and salsa-dancing Territorial Army interpreter Corporal Daniel James, 44, (AKA "General James " and originally Esmail Mohammed Beigi Gamasai)a military intelligence officer is currently in the Old Bailey charged under section one (1) (C), of the Official Secrets Act 1911 - that on 2 November 2007, for a purpose prejudicial to the safety of the state, he “communicated to another person information calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy” ...plus a charge of wilful misconduct, .

General Sir David Richards who as Lieutenant-General David Richards was the the commander of the British contingent of Nato forces in Afghanistan and was referred to by American supreme commander of NATO at the time, General Jim Jones, who was happy to let it be publicly known , that Lieutenant-General David Richards "would have been sacked if he had been an American officer". and that he was "too political". December 6th 2006

In a fascinating performance last week at the Old Bailey General Richards, appeared as a prosecution witness and said that on occasions he had whispered to James, telling him to lower his voice and stop acting the part of a general.

Asked whether he knew that Corporal James had begun calling himself General James, he said: “I didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me.”

General Richards, now Commander-in-Chief Land Command, said that the corporal had a character that “bordered on the bizarre”. He admitted that he was “completely dependent” on him because there was no alternative, and his previous interpreter, a captain, had not been good enough.

"He was very ebullient, something of a Walter Mitty character," said Gen Richards. "He obviously didn't mind being pointed out. "We have a floppy sun hat to keep the sun off and he would wear a cape-y thing at the back. He would also go to the gym a lot and he was keen to look after himself. He liked the limelight a lot."

Maj James Driscoll, who worked as the general's military assistant, said he found Mr James to be "always polite" although he sometimes had a "slightly overinflated opinion of himself".