Getting killed for "National Security"?

Another two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. That's a total of 152 British service personnel who have lost their lives since our troops were sent out there. It was the fourth item on the Radio 4 news bulletin at 10 o'clock this morning. Just a short statement that they were killed in an explosion and that their families were informed. By comparison, the two soldiers killed in Northern Ireland recently was headline news for several days. It was probably the fear that the Irish "troubles" might be starting up again that made it headline news.

One of the soldiers killed in Northern Ireland was on the eve of being posted, and this was reported as if the poor fellow might have escaped his fate had his posting come through a day or two earlier; as if he would have been out of harms way. My god, they were sending the poor sod to another killing field; from the proverbial frying pan of Northern Ireland to the fire (sometimes friendly, it has to be said) of Afghanistan.

The defence secretary, John Hutton, said: "All the brave and professional service personnel who have given their lives in Afghanistan have done so to counter the serious threat posed to the UK's national security." That sounds like Government-speak bullshit to me. It seems to me that the UK's national security has been more endangered since our troops have started trading killing projectiles out there. The Seven/Seven London bombings occurred after British troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, didn't it.