The announcement that British troops in Afghanistan are to hand over responsibility for the Sangin area of Helmand to US soldiers has been described by the Ministry of Defence as a “redeployment”. But critics – pointing to the fact that the UK has suffered its heaviest losses in the area, with 99 deaths since 2001 – are calling it a “retreat” and the Taliban are hailing it as a “victory”.
There are suspicions that the decision was taken after Major General Richard Mills, of the US Marine Corps, assumed control of all International Security Assistance Force troops in Helmand last month because he believes the British “need bailing out”.
The move comes in a month when there has been confusion at the top of the Conservative-led coalition government about what British troops are trying to achieve in Afghanistan and how long they will stay there. Prime Minister David Cameron, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence, do not appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
