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Anorak News | No Defence

No Defence

by | 24th, November 2005

‘THE revolution may not be televised, but the war in Iraq is. And if you work at the Ministry of Defence, you can watch the fighting on a shiny new plasma screen.

It’s ok, Elaine, the MoD have got you covered

The Sun says that while our brave boys and girls are in the dunes of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, their bosses are monitoring their progress on 139 state-of-the-art tellies, costing £2,600 each.

Sure, the wide-screen pictures will give staff at the MoD’s Main Building opposite Downing Street the bigger picture but some people think it’s a waste of money.

Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb, who saw the screens and asked about their cost, is dismayed. “One civil servant even told me the TVs were fantastic for watching the test match on,” says he.

This might sound terribly fanciful, but we must remind readers that England’s cricketers are currently taking on Pakistan in Faisalabad, and the men in khaki suits are now well placed to study the goings on and spot any miscreants in the crowd.

But still Lamb is not happy. And these new tellies do seem a tad excessive when, as the Suns says, squaddies are forced to pay up to £1,000 of their own cash to buy boots and sleeping bags.

Not so, says the MoD’s spokesman. “These televisions provide the 3,100 military and civilian staff with global news updates, operational briefings and presentations.”

The TVs offer a vital view on the world – whether it be of the deserts of Iraq, the fields of Pakistan or the celebrity-infested jungles of Australia…’



Posted: 24th, November 2005 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink