Rescue

I am angry tonight. David Cameron has just been on the news loooking ridiculously young and shaken trying to explain away the accidental death of a British hostage through 'friendly' fire. How dare he? How dare any person in power try to explain something away like that?

The British government were told by people in the area that a rescue was inadviseable - they didn't listen preferring instead to ask the Americans for help. Now I have American friends who read this and I don't want  to upset them but really!!!! US forces are not known for their delicate handling of this sort of situation. And it doesn't make it any better that some kid is probably going through hell at the moment at the thought of what he did.

If only someone would bother to read their history books they would find that Afghanistan has repelled invaders for centuries. Armies going back to that of Alexander the Great have tried and failed. Within living memory Russia lost a generation of soldiers there. What hubris makes the UK and US governments think they have the key?

A girl from the Highlands and Islands, who loved the wild places of the earth and who wanted to make a difference in a positive way deserved better than some gung ho rescue where she was killed by the use of a hand grenade and a 'friendly' one at that.

What makes me angrier still is the complete lack of contrition on the part of William Hague and Cameron's comment that he still felt he had made the right decision. How was it right if the girl is dead? How can that ever be right?

We live in a time that needs heroes and all we get are fools. I am angry and I grieve for the senseless loss of a woman's life and the revelation yet again that our politicians have feet of clay. I grieve for Linda Norgrove's parents. I grieve for the sorrow and heartache the young man who threw the grenade must feel. I grieve for all of us for  it would seem that our leaders are but little men with little thoughts and little consciences.