David died for us. We will never forget him (From Lancashire Telegraph)

David died for us. We will never forget him

10:07am Thursday 11th March 2010 in News By Jack Straw, Lancashire Telegraph columnist

BLACKBURN will be in mourning today for one of the bravest of the brave.

Many miles from home, but fighting on behalf of us all, Lance Sergeant David Walker of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards was killed in action in Afghanistan on February 18.

He was taking part in the major 'Operation Moshtarak', leading a four- man 'fire team'.

His family, his regiment, and the whole town will remember him today as his funeral takes place in Blackburn.

Britain's association with Afghanistan has been a long one. In the nineteenth century it was the focal point of the so-called 'Great Game' – the competition for domination of much of Asia between the Russian Empire and the British.

In the first Afghan War, Britain lost 17,000 troops and camp followers.

Just one person survived. (Of that 17,000 fewer than 700 were European. As in both of the twentieth century world wars thousands from the Indian sub-continent went to their death fighting for us).

Nearly 40 years later we regained domination with the second Afghan war, and so we remained until the independence of India in 1947.

But the Great Game continued in a new guise. The Russians sent in the Soviet Army in 1979 better to control this country at their then southern border.

The Americans and the west in turn encouraged – and armed – insurgents against the Soviets, the same insurgents who were to become Mujahedeen, and the Taliban. When the Soviets withdrew in 1989 anarchy ensued, followed by the Taliban which until 2001 dominated 95 per cent of the country, with unbridled ferocity.

The 'civilised' world decided that Afghanistan was just too difficult to handle. But as the world learnt to its cost on 11 September 2001, a country of the size and strategic importance of Afghanistan can never be ignored. The Taliban had given a safe haven to al Qaeda to develop the world's most deadly terrorist organisation. In the aftermath of 9/11 the United Nations decided to intervene.

Today a 42-nation international force is present in Afghanistan at the invitation of the Afghan government and with a UN mandate. Britain's 9,500 troops, the second largest contingent, are playing a critical role in securing key parts of the south.

That is why David Walker was in Afghanistan. There are no words capable of softening the grief of David’s family over his loss.

But they may be brought some comfort by our recognition that David died for the most noble of causes – protecting the people of this country, as well as helping to build a better life for thousands in that benighted part of Afghanistan.

Yes, that country is thousands of miles away. But as I deal almost daily with aspects of the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005, I know that but for the sacrifice made by David and now some hundreds of the best service men and women in the world from the UK there would have been many more 7/7s and 9/11s.

He died for us. Let us never forget that. We will never forget him.