From: Ad 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/19/narmour19.xml

Coz they're expendable & to UK Pols.....well..hey you know some are
going to die so...best not to let that affect your political
considerations....after all what's better, being able to......be economical
with the truth in Parliament or protect the lives of the PBI....

It would appear being able to stand up in Parliament & stcik to a
fictitious line is best.

"The government was accused by a coroner yesterday of an
"unforgivable and inexcusable" delay in issuing personal body
armour to troops in Iraq after he heard how a tank commander was shot and
killed after being made to hand his kit over to another soldier due to
shortages.

Sergeant Steve Roberts, 33, was shot by his own side as he struggled with a
stone-throwing Iraqi at a checkpoint near Az Zubayr in March 2003. He had
been ordered to give up his armour three days earlier.

More than 2,000 soldiers went into combat without the œ167 piece of kit
because of "serious failings" in the Army's supply chain, the
inquest in Oxford was told."

"In a strongly-worded verdict at the end of the six-day inquest,
Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, said: "To
send soldiers into a combat zone without the appropriate basic equipment
is, in my view, unforgivable and inexcusable and represents a breach of
trust that the soldiers have in those in Government.

"This Enhanced Combat Body Armour was a basic piece of protective
equipment. I have heard justification and excuse and I put these to one
side as I remind myself that Sgt Roberts lost his life because he did not
have that basic piece of equipment.

"Sgt Roberts's death was as a result of delay and serious failures in
the acquisition and support chain that resulted in a significant shortage
within his fighting unit of Enhanced Combat Body Armour, none being
available for him.""

"Instead the inquest heard from David Williams, the director of
capability, resources and scrutiny at the Ministry of Defence, who said
that civil servants did not order the body armour when it was requested
because they did not want to make it obvious that Britain was going to war
with Iraq. He said there had been an eight-week delay between receipt of
the initial request and authorisation by Mr Hoon.

Mr Williams said purchasing the body armour any earlier would
"obviously indicate the department was pressing ahead with
preparations for war" when negotiations were still at the diplomatic
stage."


The reality is that it was nothing to do with "informing the
enemy" & much more to do with "informing the British
people".

Gosh imagine how embarrassing if the press picked up on the order &
then questions were asked in Parliament....far better to have a few PBI
rendered into wormfood/ashes.

Adam

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5