The Wykehamist The Wykemamist Common Time 2017 No. 1474 | Page 3

Above all, whatever our individual views, we
need to defend democracy. I believe that
Trump is a bad president and that Brexit will
damage the UK, and I would not have voted
for either. However, I support Trump’s right to
govern his country as its democratically-
elected leader and his right to come to Britain
on a state visit. I also realise that Brexit has to
happen because that is what the majority of
people in this country voted for. You only
have to look at some of the regimes around the
world to realise that democracy is something
worth fighting for, even though it often
produces outcomes we don’t like. Ask yourself
whether you would rather live in a Britain
outside the EU, an America governed by The
Donald… or in North Korea.
Wherever it takes us, we must protect
democracy.
║FEATURE ARTICLES
Looking back at Sangin during the
Afghanistan conflict with Col. (Retd.) Nick
Kitson DSO
Safi Riaz
Col. (Retd.) Nick Kitson DSO is an Old
Wykehamist, having been at Bramston’s
(Trant’s) between 1982 and 1987. He is a
veteran of both of Britain’s recent
involvements in the Greater Middle East: the
war in Iraq, operating as part of an infantry
unit in 2003, and in Afghanistan as the
Commanding Officer of a British Army
battlegroup, the 3 Rifles. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order, according to his
citation, for ‘indomitable leadership’ and
‘dogged determination’ in the face of ‘the
most hostile circumstances’. Recently, Col
Kitson was kind enough to talk to The
Wykehamist about his time in Sangin,
Helmand.
When, in 2004, the conflict in Afghanistan
was taken off the ‘back-burner’, coalition
forces who had previously been involved in
the war in Iraq, began their deployment into
Afghanistan. The different nations making up
NATO forces were allocated separate regions
to commence operations in. For the British,
this was Helmand Province, which they
entered in April 2006. Initially, the Parachute
Regiment had been deployed in Helmand,
their objectives being ‘kinetic’: this meant
direct engagement with the enemy, clearing
the Helmand region of Taliban. By 2009 and
the 3 Rifles’ entry into Afghanistan, the
objectives of the conflict had shifted. The
Taliban insurgency was in full swing and the
aims were not so much ‘kinetic’ as much as
they were about consolidating gains and
introducing pro-government sentiments
amongst the local population. Col. Kitson
outlined their goals saying ‘there was a real
need to try and get into counter-insurgency
principles.’ This was about winning over
‘hearts and minds’ and, with the Taliban
having been pushed back considerably, they
focused on development and improving
relations with the locals. This included
providing safety to the locals to access the new
healthcare and education facilities, facilitating
the establishment of district, provincial and
government institutions allowing for effective
administration, as well as countering the
Taliban’s own influence over the population.
This was neither a bloodless nor an easy task.
The 6-month operation saw some of the
heaviest losses of the conflict. Of the 1,400
soldiers in the battlegroup, 30 were killed and
100 wounded. The threat had changed: it had
moved from frontal assaults on British
positions to a low level insurgency. This
included threats such as IEDs, guerrilla-like
tactics by small terrorist groups and hidden
snipers.
Throughout the conflict, Helmand Province
was considered one of the most dangerous and
difficult regions of Afghanistan. This was
particularly the case with the Sangin valley,
the area in which the 3 Rifles were operating.
Col. Kitson attributed additional difficulties to
a wide range of factors. First, the ‘hidden’
nature of the enemy. The insurgency was low
level and attacks were committed by small
groups or individuals. This made it harder to
stop the attacks as it was not one organisation
that had to be dismantled, but individuals who
needed to be caught and apprehended. These
terrorists could also blend into the civilian
population seamlessly. This problem was
exacerbated not only by the terrain which lent
itself to the guerrilla warfare waged but also
3