UK Army Captain Book: An Intimate War: An Oral History

London: A captain in the Territorial Army has resigned after a dispute with the Ministry of Defence over a book he has written that is critical of the conduct of the campaign in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. The MoD commissioned the book by Dr Mike Martin, but took exception to parts of the account. The dispute has gone on for more than a year. In a statement, the MoD said it “has a strong record of learning from previous campaigns and encourages its officers to challenge existing norms and conventional wisdom. However, the publication of books and articles by serving military personnel is governed by well-established policy and regulations. When these are breached, the MoD will withhold approval.” Involvement in Afghanistan cost the British military 448 deaths, many of them casualties of the ferocious fighting in Helmand. British forces seemed unprepared for Helmand, a Taliban stronghold and one of the major poppy-growing regions of the country. via, theguardian