Father of 兵士 whose death was 非難するd on 欠如（する） of 道具 lambasts 大臣's 企て，努力，提案 to silence 検死官

By MATTHEW HICKLEY

Last updated at 00:25 19 March 2008


James Phillippson

James Phillippson: 待ち伏せ／迎撃するd

The father of a 兵士 killed in Afghanistan attacked the 政府 yesterday for trying to stop 検死官s criticising the 省 of Defence.

Lawyers 事実上の／代理 for Defence 長官 Des Browne are asking the High 法廷，裁判所 to stop 検死s from appearing to apportion 非難する.

But Anthony Philippson said it was "incredible" that anyone would 捜し出す to silence 検死官s in this way.

At last month's 検死 into the death of his son James, 29, the 検死官 lambasted the 省 of Defence over the 欠如（する） of 器具／備品 and 兵器 given to British 軍隊／機動隊s.

Andrew Walker said 兵士s were 犠牲者s of a "違反 of 信用".

Mr Philippson, whose son was a captain with 7 パラシュート（で降下する） 連隊 王室の Horse 大砲 until his death in June 2006, said the 政府's 合法的な move 脅すd the 役割 of the 検死官 as 裁判官.

"He has to 設立する the facts relating to the 原因（となる） of death," he 追加するd.

"That's 正確に／まさに what the 検死官 did at my son's 検死.

"The consequences of that are 必然的に it will point the finger at somebody. I find it やめる incredible. I don't see why they're doing it."

The 検死 into Captain Philippson's death heard that 決定的な night-見通し goggles, machine guns and 手りゅう弾 発射台s were not 利用できる until after British 軍隊／機動隊s （軍隊を）展開する，配備するd into Helmand 州, a Taliban 要塞／本拠地.

The consignments arrived only after the 戦う／戦い that cost his life.

Mr Walker, 副 assistant 検死官 of Oxfordshire, said Captain Philippson's patrol was surrounded and "全く outgunned" by the Taliban as it tried to 救助（する） another patrol that had been 待ち伏せ／迎撃するd.

Mr Walker 結論するd: "They [the British 兵士s] were 敗北・負かすd not by the テロリストs but by the 欠如（する） of basic 器具／備品."

Mr Philippson told BBC 無線で通信する 4's Today Programme yesterday: "It wasn't just night-見通し goggles which were 直接／まっすぐに the 原因（となる） of my son's death.

"Both patrols, the 罠にかける patrol and the 救助（する） patrol, didn't have 手渡す-held light machine guns and didn't have 激しい machine guns because they didn't have the 開始するs for the Land Rovers."

Mr Philippson met Defence 大臣 （頭が）ひょいと動く Ainsworth yesterday to 需要・要求する that he 身を引く 公式の／役人 批評s of Johnny Bristow, his son's patrol 指揮官.

Major Bristow was 非難するd by the 公式の／役人 board of 調査 but （疑いを）晴らすd of 非難する by Mr Walker who said there was no 証拠 he had made poor 戦術の 決定／判定勝ち（する）s.

主要な lawyers joined in the 批評 of the MoD's 試みる／企てるs to gag 検死官s.

Gary Slapper, professor of 法律 at the Open University, said it was preposterous, arrogant and an offence to the British public.

He said that although 検死官s were not supposed to decide 義務／負債 they are supposed to "say 明確に in what circumstances the person dies, and to 報告（する）／憶測 any 不正行為 or serious failing".

"That's the prime 目的 of an 検死," he 追加するd.

"You can't skew that in 前進する by 決定するing what a 検死官 can and cannot say about serious failings."

Professor Slapper said he hoped the High 法廷，裁判所 would throw out the MoD's arguments, 追加するing: "If it were さもなければ the 憲法 would be fundamentally 妥協d."

Reg 重要なs, whose son Tom was の中で six British Redcaps 殺人d by Iraqis in the town of Majar al Kabir in 2003, said: "The truth should not be stifled.

"This betrays the same 態度 from the MoD as they have shown all along - the truth 傷つけるs, and is embarrassing.

"Far from 存在 high-tech cyber 軍人s, our 兵士s are sent into 戦う／戦い without the 道具s to do the 職業 and the MoD doesn't want that known."

Mr Ainsworth said in a 声明: "I have always 定評のある that a 不足 of 器具／備品 was a 与える／捧げるing factor in the 悲劇の death of Captain Philippson.

"However, the Army's board of 調査, made up of serving 軍の 職員／兵員, objectively identified a number of other 問題／発行するs 関連した to the 出来事/事件.

"An important part of our 返答 to any 出来事/事件 is to learn from it fully."

A 広報担当者 for the MoD said it was trying to 明らかにする the 支配するs which 妨げる 検死官s apportioning 合法的な 義務／負債.

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