The war the world forgot

Afghanistan used to be called the forgotten war. Not any more. The deaths of 23 soldiers, marines and aircrew in the past month has seen to that. This has been the deadliest month for the British in Afghanistan since the invasion five years ago. Fourteen people died together yesterday, when an RAF Nimrod crashed to the west of Kandahar. Nato forces were launching an offensive against the Taliban in that region, but a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said enemy action had been "discounted at this stage".

The pilot was said to have reported a technical failure, which would surprise nobody serving on the ground or in the air. The British Army is facing the fiercest and most prolonged fighting it has seen in 50 years, according to its commander, Lt-Gen David Richards. Troops are determined and now they are battle-hardened, but they also feel exhausted, under-resourced and vulnerable. They have been worn down by the heat and by an escalation in the conflict that has meant some units fighting continuously for more than 40 days.

Among those serving in the lawless southern province of Helmand, where camps have come under almost continuous siege, there is talk of gun barrels melting during prolonged firefights. Land Rovers and armoured personnel carr- iers have proved woefully under-protected against enemy roadside bombs, or men who emerge suddenly from crowds of locals and detonate suicide bombs. Helicopters meant to provide air cover have suffered equipment failure in the hostile climate. Generals have called for reinforcements and more resources from other Nato countries that are supposed to be supporting them, but to little effect. When they made a fresh commitment to defending democracy in Afghanistan, Britain and its allies did not expect to still be so deeply involved in Iraq.

Nato took over command of the forces in Afghanistan during the summer, helped by a force of 3,300 troops from Britain. When John Reid, the then Defence Secretary, sent them he acknowledged they faced a very difficult and dangerous mission, but said he hoped they could leave "without firing a single shot".

So far, in five years, the British in Afghanistan have fired 80,000 shots. The plan to win hearts and minds was shattered by a huge US offensive this year. Nato intended to protect the reconstruction of the country and reduce the influence of the warlords and the Taliban. Instead, troops found themselves "pinned down," said General Richards, who became Nato commander on 1 August.

His answer was to vow to search for enemy fighters in their strongholds and kill them. But although his troops are skilful, the 50C heat can cause bodies as well as vehicles to break down. The supply of ammunition to Apache helicopters is allegedly being reduced as the MoD seeks to make budget cuts of £40m across the Army, a leaked top-level report says. Elsewhere bases may close, exercises are cancelled and new weapons programmes are suspended.

There are 8,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan, mostly British or Canadian, but generals have said they need far more troops to do the job properly. That job is to bring peace to troubled lands and stop the heroin trade. But yesterday, the United Nations said the opium crop has grown dramatically in the past year, bringing greater wealth and better weapons to warlords and the Taliban.

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