‘No regrets’ from outgoing army chief
By Alex Stevenson
The outgoing head of the army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, has said every word of his public statements was “considered and calculated”.
It follows his complaints last week about the shortage of helicopters which resulted in a major political row – and reportedly led to defence secretary Bob Ainsworth rebuking his ministers for briefing against the general as a result.
“Yes, of course there is a line you should not cross,” he told the Today programme.
“If some people think I crossed it – that’s their judgment, I respect their judgment. We may have got quite close to it, but I will look back over my shoulder with no regrets as chief of the general staff.”
Gen Dannatt said he had enjoyed good relations with secretaries of state for defence, albeit “counter-intuitively”, but denied making comments behind ministers’ back.
He was commander-in-chief of Britain’s forces in Afghanistan before taking up his Whitehall job in 2006 and that was when he became aware the army faced “huge pressure”.
This was why he sat down with then defence secretary Des Browne and got permission to break the tradition that army chiefs do not make public comments on such issues.
“If anyone thinks I was discourteous to speak behind the minister’s back – no, I wrote to him, I discussed these things with him,” he insisted.
“What was really important [was] the soldiers knew how much pressure they were under. They knew I would be fighting their case from within the tent.
“But they also have to have the confidence. to know that their boss was actually out there for them, as well as out there for the operations. That’s why I did what I did, and I’m afraid every word was considered and calculated.”
His comments came as the Ministry of Defence named the 187th UK soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since coalition forces ousted the Taliban from Kabul in 2001.
Corporal Joseph Etchells of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was killed in an explosion while on foot patrol in northern Helmand province on Sunday.
