Afghanistan Visit January 2010: Afghanistan in Transition With Plymouth based Royal Marines due to deploy to Afghanistan in 2011, I set off on our Defence Committee visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan with a keen interest to understand what had changed since their last deployment which ended just eight months ago. Even more importantly with the London Conference ahead, I wanted to know what real chance there is of the plan, set out by General McChrystal, welcomed by the allies, and endorsed by President Obama with the commitment of more troops, succeeding. Our visit started in Pakistan with a meeting with...

Between 24-29 November 2008 Linda Gilroy visited Afghanistan through the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. The road to Kandahar 12.30 Sunday 23rd November checked into Gatehouse Hotel after checking in kitbag at military air terminal Brize Norton. The next 72 hours will be a rare chance to try and find answers to some of the questions teaming through my mind on the journey up from Plymouth about Afghanistan and what the men and women from Plymouth currently deployed out there are doing on our behalf – how are they feeling about it – how is the kit and equipment they are using...