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UK Colonel's Death Raises Fury at Home

He's killed by roadside bomb after warning about lack of choppers

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2009 1:07 PM CDT

(Newser) – Britain's newspapers are up in arms today over the revelation that a commander got killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan just weeks after warning his superiors they weren't doing enough to prevent such deaths. Lt. Col. Rupert Thorneloe complained in an email that troops didn't have enough helicopters and had to take dangerous road trips as a result.

“We all know we don't have enough," wrote Thorneloe, who is the highest-ranking British soldier to die in Afghanistan, notes the Guardian. "We cannot not move people, so this month we have conducted a great deal of administrative movement by road. This increases the IED threat and our exposure to it.”

British soldiers carry the coffin of Rupert Thorneloe in London in July. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Sally Thorneloe, wife of Rupert, with his parents at the July funeral in London. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe. (AP Photo/Ministry of Defence, Cpl Rupert Frere)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 15 comments

Derni

Nov 1, 2009 7:30 AM CST

Bring them home and saty out of ground wars-we lost inViet name and we will lose any war in countries where people live and roam in a lnad diffeent from ours-spend the money onhealth-educationa and jobs and stop the insanity-Americans are sick of it-and if theydon't complain then bringback the draft and send all the children of the people in Congress-I bet the war will be ened before you can say-"not my kid!"

Loafer

Nov 1, 2009 6:35 AM CST

jamerican said"...send troops to support our military before any more get killed." This does not compute. Send more troops, more will get killed. The question is, what are they supposed to accomplish? When solving a problem the first thing you have to figure out is, how will you know then the problem is solved?

d3wd

Nov 1, 2009 4:01 AM CST

I choose B - bring them home. Final answer.

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UK Colonel's Death Raises Fury at Home

He's killed by roadside bomb after warning about lack of choppers

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Afghanistan • IED • roadside bomb • British troops • Afghanistan war • helicopters • Rupert Thorneloe

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Taliban: Prince Harry Shouldn't Kill

'Captain Wales' to return to Afghanistan this year; he'll be Taliban target

US Eyes Switch to Special Ops in Afghanistan

Focus to be on training, special missions, not policing

Afghan Civilian Deaths Hit New High

More than 3K killed, mostly by Taliban

Panetta: US Combat Role in Afghanistan Over in 2013

But American, NATO troops will still have 'robust' advisory role

Backed By Pakistan, Taliban Set to Retake Afghanistan

ISI providing direct assistance, says secret NATO report viewed by the BBC

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UK Colonel's Death Raises Fury at Home

He's killed by roadside bomb after warning about lack of choppers

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Afghanistan • IED • roadside bomb • British troops • Afghanistan war • helicopters • Rupert Thorneloe

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Taliban: Prince Harry Shouldn't Kill

'Captain Wales' to return to Afghanistan this year; he'll be Taliban target

US Eyes Switch to Special Ops in Afghanistan

Focus to be on training, special missions, not policing

Afghan Civilian Deaths Hit New High

More than 3K killed, mostly by Taliban

Panetta: US Combat Role in Afghanistan Over in 2013

But American, NATO troops will still have 'robust' advisory role

Backed By Pakistan, Taliban Set to Retake Afghanistan

ISI providing direct assistance, says secret NATO report viewed by the BBC

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

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More News

What is Newser?