British SAS commander resigns in protest

LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The top British special forces commander in Afghanistan has resigned to protest lack of proper equipment given to troops in the conflict zone, sources say.

Citing unnamed sources, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday that Maj. Sebastian Morley, the commander of D Squadron, 23 SAS, said "chronic underinvestment" in equipment by Britain's Ministry of Defense was to blame for the deaths of four SAS soliders in June.

The four died in Helmand province when their lightly armored Snatch Land Rover split apart after hitting a landmine. Before their deaths, British commanders had complained that the Snatch, which was designed to withstand rioters in Northern Ireland, was unsuited for combat in Afghanistan, the newspaper said.

"We highlighted this issue saying people are going to die and now they have died," an unnamed soldier who served with Morley told the Telegraph. "Our commanding officer and RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major) tried everything in their power to stop us using Snatch. The point of failure here lies squarely with the MoD."

Military officials have since begun replacing the Snatch vehicles in Afghanistan, the newspaper said.