Comments on: Newsnight – report from Sangin valley, Helmand, Afghanistan

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:42:56 +0000

Hi Graham - have forwarded your message to Vaughan - hope he gets a chance to rely. In the meantime, you might want to check out the YouTube footage here:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?p=r&user=FromTheFrontline&page=2

By: Graham Goodey

Graham Goodey — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:10:04 +0000

Dear Vaughan,

Please forgive the slight misuse of this comments page but I was one of the Royal Anglian Platoon Commanders in your report. Some of my soldiers feature in the footage and I was hoping it would be possible for you to send a copy of it - I'm sure you appreciate how much the guys value good quality footage of what they went through.

Many Thanks

Graham

By: Bob Hastings

Bob Hastings — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:22:04 +0000

As an ex 1 Royal Anglian I will say it was a very informative report.
I proud of what the lad have done out there.
I would also like to give the Volenteers of the Royal Gibraltar Regt that are helping the Vikings do such a sterling job.

Well done Guys

Bob Hastings

By: Simon Wheeler

Simon Wheeler — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 02:45:30 +0000

Excellent documentary footage. Good to see the ANA doing so well and British soldiers working so professionally under challenging conditions. I just wish the Afghan police were advancing as well as the ANA. We never seem to get much reporting on the police force but I read frequent reports that it is they who are responsible for holding ground won by ISAF/ANA and are not sufficiently trained/equipped/motivated to do so. I completely agree with the policy not to intervene on poppy fields. They will go by themselves once rule of law and irrigation are restored. Afghans don’t want to grow poppies.

By: Mel Thurlby

Mel Thurlby — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:17:27 +0000

Great video showing the hard work our guys are doing out there every single day. As a former member of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment I am very proud of the work the Vikings have done out there, and I wish them all a safe recovery back to the UK at the end of their tour. Well done lads!

'Stabilis'

Mel Thurlby

1 R Anglian (1969-1983)

By: Halo

Halo — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:04:56 +0000

great work and i wished it had got wider broadcast time to show all what is happening and how our boys and girls are doing out and what there and what there doing also

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:29:26 +0000

I love your comment Chris. You're getting behind our lads whilst still showing sensitivity towards our Muslim countrymen and women.

I too found this film utterly engrossing; a testament to the bravery of our men our women who are simply doing their job, and further testament to the bravery of people like Vaughan who put education above personal safety and comfort.

I've posted elsewhere about the fact I saw my lovely brother, quite by accident, towards the end of Vaughan Smith's film, but the point about this piece was that it stood alone for me as the most insightful journalism I've yet seen from Southern Afghanistan. Seeing my brother was just a magical 'extra'.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:50:46 +0000

Excellent reporting - no glamorisation & no spin. I was on the edge of my seat watching this. Come back safe lads & good luck to the terriers of the ANA*.

*hoping this is isn't a gross insult to Muslims...