Brown defends UK's role in Afghanistan as death toll reaches 100 - but grieving father brands conflict 'utter waste of time'

Jerome Starkey, Lucy Ballinger and Matthew Hickley
UK Daily Mail
Monday, June 9, 2008

The Prime Minister and his Defence Secretary have given their backing to the conflict in Afghanistan as the death toll suffered to UK troops hit 100.

But as Gordon Brown paid tribute to all who had lost their lives the father of one of the first soldiers killed in recent conflict has spoken out.

Yesterday three soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment were killed while on foot patrol in Helmand province when a lone insurgent ran up detonated an explosive vest.

Anthony Philippson predicted the conflict will turn into 'as big a disaster as Iraq'.

His son Captain Jim Philippson, 29, of 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, died in a firefight with Taliban troops in Helmand Province on June 11 2006.

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An inquest in February heard that his comrades had complained repeatedly about a lack of proper equipment - chiefly standard night vision kits and weaponry - before his death.

But today, Mr Brown said: 'I do not believe democracy in Afghanistan would have survived without Nato and UN support - and British forces have been on the frontline of that international effort, and have acquitted themselves with great bravery and professionalism.'

Mr Philippson, from St Albans, Herts, said the latest deaths would not be the last. 'It was inevitable. It's not going to get better, it's going to get worse,' he said.

"When my son was killed, we thought it was just a bad accident, but week by week it's just got worse and I don't see an end in sight. I think it is going to turn out as big a disaster as Iraq.

Full article here.

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