LONDON, March 7 (UPI) -- The former head of Britain's special air service troops in Afghanistan says the government has "blood on (its) hands" for using inadequate equipment.
SAS Maj. Sebastian Morley, who resigned last year over what he called "unsafe" Snatch Land Rovers issued to British troops in Afghanistan, said in an interview published Saturday in The Daily Telegraph that he had to resign and accused the accused the government of ignoring repeated warnings.
Morley resigned following the deaths of four soldiers, including Cpl. Sarah Bryant, the first female British soldier to die in Afghanistan, after their Snatch Land Rover vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in Helmand province.
"I had to resign," he told the Telegraph. "I had warned them (the Ministry of Defense) time and time again that there were going to be needless deaths if we were not given the right equipment, and they ignored this advice. There is blood on their hands."
Morley also said Britain's strategy in Afghanistan is being undermined by insufficient troops and resources, saying, "The operations that we are conducting are so worthless. It's just crazy to think we hold that ground or have any influence on what goes on beyond the bases."
