1/3 UK casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan avoidable

LONDON -- More than one in three British servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan might still be alive if not for avoidable blunders and equipment problems, an investigation by the Independent on Sunday has revealed.

An audit of the 254 deaths in the two conflicts revealed that at least 88 have died in avoidable accidents, friendly fire incidents or equipment shortages, the paper reported.

The 88 cases listed are a conservative analysis, leaving out many others where no inquiry or inquest has been completed and exact circumstances have not been established, the report said.

The study will increase pressure on the Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, to honor the Military Covenant, which says that, while people in the military risk their lives in combat, the nation should ensure they are well equipped and look after them and, in the case of their deaths, their families.