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| Troop deaths 'not last atrocity' | Troop deaths 'not last atrocity' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The killing of five British soldiers by an Afghan policeman "probably won't be the last" atrocity of this kind, the top UK general in Afghanistan has said. | The killing of five British soldiers by an Afghan policeman "probably won't be the last" atrocity of this kind, the top UK general in Afghanistan has said. |
| But General Jim Dutton told the BBC it had been a "very rare event" and it was important to "see it in perspective". | But General Jim Dutton told the BBC it had been a "very rare event" and it was important to "see it in perspective". |
| The investigation into the deaths would be conducted "extremely rigorously" by the Army and Afghan police, he added. | The investigation into the deaths would be conducted "extremely rigorously" by the Army and Afghan police, he added. |
| The five soldiers, based in Helmand, were killed on Tuesday when a policeman being trained by UK forces opened fire. | The five soldiers, based in Helmand, were killed on Tuesday when a policeman being trained by UK forces opened fire. |
| They had been working and living in a compound at a national police checkpoint in the Nad Ali district in the two weeks leading to their deaths. | They had been working and living in a compound at a national police checkpoint in the Nad Ali district in the two weeks leading to their deaths. |
| Rare event | Rare event |
| Six other British men and two Afghan National Police officers were injured in the attack. | Six other British men and two Afghan National Police officers were injured in the attack. |
| Asked on BBC One's Politics Show whether the shooting would make soldiers fearful, Gen Dutton said: "Well, I think yes, it does initially, but then of course as we think about it in the longer term. | Asked on BBC One's Politics Show whether the shooting would make soldiers fearful, Gen Dutton said: "Well, I think yes, it does initially, but then of course as we think about it in the longer term. |
| "As I say there's over 90,000 [police in Afghanistan] and we're building this police force and the army as quickly as we can. | "As I say there's over 90,000 [police in Afghanistan] and we're building this police force and the army as quickly as we can. |
| The vast majority of those policemen are doing a good job for the future of Afghanistan Gen Jim Dutton class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8344648.stm">Tributes to five 'men of courage' | |
| "It's easy for me to say this, sitting here, I'm not a relative or a colleague of those particular soldiers, but looking at it from a distance here you have to see it in perspective. | "It's easy for me to say this, sitting here, I'm not a relative or a colleague of those particular soldiers, but looking at it from a distance here you have to see it in perspective. |
| "It's not the first time that an Afghan policeman or an Afghan soldier or indeed soldiers of other nations in other theatres have carried out this sort of atrocity. | "It's not the first time that an Afghan policeman or an Afghan soldier or indeed soldiers of other nations in other theatres have carried out this sort of atrocity. |
| "And regrettably I think we have to say it probably won't be the last. But it is a very rare event." | "And regrettably I think we have to say it probably won't be the last. But it is a very rare event." |
| 'Rogues' | 'Rogues' |
| Gen Dutton also said: "We are building the police force and the army as quickly as we can. | Gen Dutton also said: "We are building the police force and the army as quickly as we can. |
| "The vast majority of those policemen are doing a good job for the future of Afghanistan - as good as they are able to. There is always going to be the odd one or two rogues." | "The vast majority of those policemen are doing a good job for the future of Afghanistan - as good as they are able to. There is always going to be the odd one or two rogues." |
| Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the soldiers had been "men of courage" whose memories would live on. | Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said the soldiers had been "men of courage" whose memories would live on. |
| They were Guardsman Jimmy Major, Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford, Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith. | They were Guardsman Jimmy Major, Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford, Corporal Steven Boote and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to make what advisers call a "major" speech on the Afghanistan campaign on Friday. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to make what advisers call a "major" speech on the Afghanistan campaign on Friday. |
| The Politics Show will be broadcast on BBC One from 1200 GMT on Sunday. | The Politics Show will be broadcast on BBC One from 1200 GMT on Sunday. |