I bet they did not like your attention to detail did they?.....Oh well everything happens for a reason. God Bless you all over there. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!!!!

Put 50 in the tip jar this am. Bloody wankers!

Read the Bad Medicine Dispatch last night and thought it was another excellent piece of war reporting from you.... my son has been deployed since last Christmas in Afghanistan, I started following you when he deployed to Iraq. Please keep up the excellent work and be safe

Michael you continue to cover the British effort so well, it's amazing. It rings so true as well, I can hear the "Desert Rats" from Basra days in '06 in each of your dispatches...aw esome stuff sir!

Was it Google Earth that got you invited out?

Go find some Canadians or get in with the Marines, they too are somewhat busy.
Stay safe and keep up the great work.

That is just how the MoD operate - they don't tolerate criticism.

Their first reaction to it is to try and silence it, if they can't do that they will try and discredit it. failing that they will deflect blame or try and spin it. If they can't do that they will bury it and obscure it from the general public.

OPSEC isn't just used to keep the enemy in the dark...

Thank you for your reporting, I dont know where I will look to find out the news anymore, as the BBC is full of idiots preaching to the the sixties generation hippies, and I'm afraid Mr Gordon Brown is the biggest ex hippy of the lot. I dont know why your embed was cancelled, and I dont care what reason is given, it is wrong. The sooner we have an election in Britain the better as these unelected buch of tossers are killing the country, and the best bit about our country is our Military. I suspect they ( G Brown and Co) just dont like the fact that Michael keeps pointing out we need more helicopters, something our Labour party leaders insist we have enough of, this despite all the ex generals, officers, soldiers, opposition politicians and news paper reports to the contrary. Our curent government thinks the silent majority are stupid, we are not. They think they can blind us with bluff and bluster. We are not stupid, we cant be blinded, we have seen this all before, and we are watching very carefully. Despite what they may think in looney left land, most people in this country are proud of our troops, proud of our military history, and proud of what they are doing now, and we the silent majority do not like what the government is doing to them. I live very close to Wooton Bassett, on the edge of Salisbury Plain and I see the cost of war when the planes deliver the fallen back to RAF Lynham ( they fly over my house at about 50 feet) so I am not looking at this from a gung ho approach, I know our troops are the best, I know they are proffesional, and I know that some will pay the ultimate price of war. But I cannot except and do not see any argument for how the penny grabbing accountants in white hall can justify saving money at the expence of a life, when that person is risking there life for us and the greater good of western civilisation. To them I say Buy some more bloody Helicoptors, commit some more troops, do what ever the generals want or ask of you to get the job done.
Because if you dont after the next election the people might want to consider what you have not done. Years ago treason meant having your head cut off and put on a spike, and as we in the UK are big on tradition, perhaps we should re consider putting this back into law. ( we could also do the same to terrorists, then there will be no more repatriations of killers). As you can tell I'm pissed off.

I have just come across your site on order-order.com . We need you to post more widely so that you get more publicity and order-order would be a good place to start.

As for the MoD - well we need people like you to tell us what is really going on in this war - because this govt are just plainly self serving liars. I can't tell you how badly I view the MoD and such people as bob 'aintbustinagut ' and his sidekick kevan.

I do hope you find a way to continue. May I suggest you also appeal to the retiring General Sir Richard Dannatt to see if he could not help your case.

I have emailed complaint to MOD in the hope they will let you embed again with British Troops. Thank you Mr Yon for your reports on whats our soldiers are doing in Afganistan. I hope other people we email Mod as well at http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/AskAMinister.htm

It's perhaps not an accident that the post that just motivated me to cough up another $20 bucks in support is the same one that MOD couldn't tolerate. It didn't seem particularly scathing to me, but it was informative. I also don't see much of an operational security issue when you describe tactical realities that the enemy is already exploiting. Surely they don't think details about strike aircraft weaponry, which is available on open source sites, is verboten?

Guessing it was posting the exact location of troops what done it via googlemaps. A few of us here were like this when we saw that. Thought that was a crazy move! But thanks for letting the Americans know what our troops are up to and Good luck and stay safe on your next despatch. Pity the MOD won't reconsider but they have to put some curbs on location details I expect, did they give you a reason?

Thank you, Mr Yon, for the risks you have taken, the hardship you have endured, and all you have done to tell it like it is.

Your dispatches have been a stark contrast to the normal diet of platitudes, half-truths and outright deceit fed to us by the professional sophists at MoD and by our largely disinterested and bone-idle media.

I very much hope you will find it possible to proceed with the post on election day and any others you may have in the pipeline covering your experience since.

Again, my sincere thanks, and best wishes for the future.

Very strange - as you say in your post, its not as though the locals don't know exactly where the Brits are already!! Like all wars, this one is getting way too political - instead of reading your reports and trying to respond to them positively, they silence you instead. Why is it that only politicians have to think like this?

Hope you have better luck with the US political machine.

@Greg Marquez - You put too much faith in the loyalty of the British Government towards the NHS. Its the British people that love the NHS, successive Labour and Tory governments couldn't care less...

I second the motion to find some Canadians. Things are always hot in Kandahar.

Michael, I wait for your bloggs to come out, your insight into what our troops and our allies are having to deal with in Afghanistan and Iraq is next to none. I can only think it's a loss for the people of the UK, that they will not be aware of what is going on with thier sons and daughters in the war zone. The fact that the Brits have needs for more equipment and troops remind me of the way our government tried to short change our troops in Iraq mid-way in that action, only to see that the American people will not stand by idlely, knowing that more upgrades of equipment to protect our troops were needed and received. The current British governing body will have to listen to thier people and hopefully your messages to attain the same for thier sons and daughters. God bless you Michael and watch your six.

Bad Medicine was a great post, Michael.
Stay safe.

Hi,

I suggest any and all Brit readers who want Michael's embed with UK troops to continue write to their MPs. I've asked my MP to write to Bob Ainsworth, the Secretary of State for Defense, to complain about the MODs action. At the very least you may make some MPs aware of Michael's work. You find out who your MP is and contact them by email through his website: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

It only takes a minute to remind the politicians we are watching them. Make the time people.

Plenty of MOD trolls about it seems

Mike,
It's too bad that the stories of units such as 2 Rifles will no longer be told. As has been obvious from your previous writing these under-reported and thus under-appriecia ted allies had one real chronicler - you. What was also obvious from your reporting was that those stories deserved to be told.
It's a better deal for our guys, though. We'll keep the support coming, regardless of who you're with.
God bless, stay healthy

"It won’t be petty."

I wouldn't bet on that, you obviously have no experience dealing with military Public Affairs officers. Yon has been in pissing contests with US Army Public Affairs Officers on a number of occasions. There was one instance where he picked up a rifle and fired back at an insurgent who was shooting in his direction, but apart from that, the rest were petty.

"I was surprised Michael didn’t wish the Rifles well, I’m sure they had his back the entire time he was with them."

Now you're the one jumping to hasty conclusions. Do you suppose he might have said his goodbyes in person, since he could, rather than post them to a blog which is largely inaccessible to forward deployed troops?

"The British are doing the serious heavy lifting in Afghanistan."

I wouldn't say that either. In the last couple of months things have picked up considerably for conventional units like 2 Rifles and some US Marine battalions, but the 'heavy lifting' in Afghanistan is still being done by the special operations forces (US, UK, Polish, German, Canadian, etc - they work under the same command) Benjamin Kopp, of Kopp-Etchells Effect was one such soldier. In any event, it is best we don't hear too much about what they do.

I've read your works since 2005 and have learnt a great deal from them. You have given an excellent view of British troops at work and I am at a loss to understand why the MoD would be so silly as to cancel your embed. I have written to my Member of Parliament tonight to request him to use his influence to have your embed reinstated. Stay safe and thanks again for sharing your insights.

Michael,

The next time you are in England maybe Wooton Bassett is worth a visit. The idiots at MOD cannot keep you away from there. As a good proportion of your readership appears to be the military themselves maybe a despatch from there would help dispell their feeling that those of us at home don't care.

With regard to the UK MOD I think that the perception of their "allegiance" has changed in recent years. In my time in the service (1981 - 2003) they were generally viewed by serving members as "our representatives " in government. Basicallly they were the good guys trying to get the best for us from a government with far too much on it's plate and too little money in its pocket. Now it seems to those serving members I talk to (including my son) that they are percieved as part of the problem. The MOD civil service are too highly politicised and are at best a conduit for the promotion of a party political agenda as opposed to the best interests of the services. The UK MOD no longer seems to have the effectiveness and well being of HM Forces as it's core aim. They are far more interested in hushing up the scandals as they come along and serving their career politician masters. I'm not saying that the whole MOD is rotten but they have, without doubt, lost the confidence of the average sailor, soldier and airman.

You do a good job, Michael and I shall continue to read your despatches wherever and with whoever you are embedded.

"Guessing it was posting the exact location of troops what done it via googlemaps. A few of us here were like this when we saw that. Thought that was a crazy move! "

Which part do you think was "crazy": showing where troops were several days ago, or showing the location of a major base that must already be known by everybody within a 50 mile radius?

Hi Michael,

I very much enjoy your posts... I wish I was over there too... I gave some thought to why you may have been kicked out of your embed with 2 Rifles... Here's what I've come up with:

1) The Google map... It did help us readers, but could also encourage the opposition by providing them fresh tactical prospective on hitting the bases
2) Describing the payload the planes carry... Could be construed compromising information on planes firepower
3) The soldier and dog missing the pressure-IED... Someone up the ranks looks bad
4) Five soldiers tragic death.... Sequential IEDs killing the rescued and rescuers...
5) Pharmacy Road... Seems like 2 Rifles is on a suicide mission...

My hunch is that part of your story underscored the futility of the 2 Rifles assignment... Thanks again for keeping us informed.

Keep safe,
Pete

I did not dismiss anything she said as obnoxious. I politely disagreed with her.

Michael Yon’s embed with British forces has not been cancelled and we are disappointed that he has chosen to characterise it as such. We have hosted Michael with British forces for five weeks, some two weeks longer than originally planned.

We welcome Michael’s thorough reporting of the work of British forces and we have no objection to his recent piece entitled "Bad Medicine". All journalists embedding with the UK military are given access to troops without censorship. However all materials coming out of theatre is checked to ensure that key tactical details that would aid the enemy are not being made public. Michael’s dispatch was subject to these checks and was given the go-ahead.

This was posted by the MOD. You can find a copy at www.blogs.mod.uk

MOD,
Are you calling Michael a Liar?
This does not seem to be the character of the man that many have come to know through his reporting. Just because you gave him the go-ahead at one command level does not mean a higher command did not make this request for him leave. If you did not request him to leave then please make a strong public request for him to return soon. He seems to have the character to accept your request of returning in the near future.

it seems our government, past and present, is no better than the MoD.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/man-who-sold-iraq-war-now-vetting-embedded-journos-report.html

Michael Yon's work covering the U.K. soldiers in Afghanistan has been immeasurable. Most of the British news I get is from the BBC, Telegraph or Times, which comes from a starting point far from objective. Yon has been able to show individual stories that drive home how much of a sacrifice these soldiers are making.

I hope this can be worked out.

"I second the motion to find some Canadians. Things are always hot in Kandahar."

My son is an infantryman with 5/2 SBCT in Kandahar. His battalion has suffered 7 KIA in less than a month since they deployed there, including 4 dead yesterday in what I would guess to be a planned ambush of their rapid response to the Kandahar City car bombings. I'm frankly a little tired of hearing exclusively about the bravery of the British and Canadians, or even the Marines and Special Forces. There are many brave men risking their lives in what is now major combat in Southern Afghanistan.

Have fun asking the MoD why Michael's embed was cancelled. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/AskAMinister.htm

I greatly appreciate your despatches. Any chance of embedding with the other fighting coalition members, like the Danes or the Ests, after a round with the Yanks?

Michael,
I ran across this link do you think it may have anything to do with what occurred? Who knows who is using it...

http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2009/08/31/us_officials_cancel_contract_to_profile_reporters

Ahhh...Capt. Jo, the MOD representative!

Scott,

I am a serving officer in Afghanistan, but by no means a 'cheerleader' for the MOD!

As I said, we (those of us who can be bothered) enjoyed reading Michael's pieces.

But I witnessed him being rude and aggressive towards those whose job it is to make his embed run as smoothly as possible. They are the 'fixers' not the policy-makers.. . Doing their job as best they can and dedicated a disproportionat e amount of time looking after Michael, who never once said 'thank you'.

"Manners Maketh Man!"

Capt. Jo,
Seems you spent an inordinate amount of time following around Michael's fixers/handlers to know he NEVER said thank you. Their job was to make the embed run smoothly for who? I have been a serving officer in combat as well and was way too busy to do what you seem to have done. I respect your service as I do all those who are in that hellhole and hope you get out soon, along with everyone else. It is a waste of blood and money.

Michael,

This is how you are received by some members of the UK defence community http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/387486-new-michael-yon-dispatch-afghanistan.html

You are held in the highest regard by many in the UK. Keep up the great work!!