"Right, Taliban, now you've really asked for it ...."

So, the last-one-on-the-list Secretary of State for Defence (former car plant trade union shop steward, Bob Ainsworth) can now tell us, via Oh My Gordo Brown, that another 500 of this country's finest are to be deployed to Afghanistan because, `all the conditions have been met in respect of them being properly equipped for the task`. Is it me being thick or aren't our Nation's armed forces supposed to be equipped, period? I mean, we don't go to war and then say, oh, hang on a minute, we need to hang back so that we can ensure we are fully equipped. This smacks of the state we were in back in 1939, having watched the Nazis arm up for years and then march across Europe - but thats all just history I suppose.

Judging from the complaints I hear via some of the troops already out there, I hope `properly equipped` will include enough body armour, enough appropriate combat clothing including boots and socks and appropriate combat vehicles including support aircraft? I assume this is what "Bollocks" Bob means? I do hope so, on the day when they've announced that another member of my injured nephew's regiment has lost his life in the cause. Oh and Gordo, SF units rather like their presence to be kept under wraps, so best not mention it anymore - at least not without asking them first. I mean, they don't tell you how to run the country.