Memorandum from Bill Rammell MP, then
Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
At the session of the Committees on Arms Export
Controls on 22 April Sir John Stanley raised a question about
a recent report in the Independent newspaper that British-made
components had been discovered in the remnants of bombs used by
the Taleban in Afghanistan[77].
I undertook to provide the Committee with a written response.
There have been a number of recent press reports
alleging that British citizens have been directly supporting the
Taleban in Helmand Province and that British-made components have
been used in improvised explosive devices. Any claims of British
involvement with the Taleban are looked at seriously. There is,
however, no definitive evidence to substantiate any of these allegations
It is clear that insurgent techniques and tactics
have evolved and that they are increasingly using improvised explosive
devices. We take any threat to our personnel very seriously and
we do everything possible to protect them. We constantly monitor
the capability and protection requirements of our troops and have
a well-developed route in place by which commanders on the ground
can ask for new or additional military equipment to address these
threats.
30 April 2009
77 Q 187. Back
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