I'll just hijack the cat-fight thread for a moment to get back to the sub-thread started by MaroonMan4. If you take a big step back and look at the whole operation, you get a much better idea of the shortcuts, short measures and ineffective tactics our guys are forced to employ everyday because of lack of resources.
This was an assault on a heavily defended enemy fortification that had been under close surveillance for the last 2 months or so (so we know the enemy strengths were confirmed and understood). We kick off 200 troops to take it and get knocked back. Not only are we knocked back, but the heroic rescue attempt that started this thread is as a direct result of not having the right support in place to start the job. I don't know what the right number of troops was, but it clearly wasn't 200. I don't know what level of Combat Support was needed, but it was clearly more than they actually got.
I don't take anything from the Taliban's ability to hold a well defended position, but these are British Armed Forces for Christ's sake. We spend whatever it is each year on Defence, and get knocked back by Omar and the boys because the guys in theatre have to do it on a shoestring and with less than the required amount of supporting equipment.
No wonder the Government spin machine is all over this. The balls of steel approach by our fighting men to recover a fallen comrade is a much better story than asking why he had to be a victim in the first place. Yes, I know that even if the place had been flattened by Air Power for an hour before the assault, there would still have been casualties, but it is easier to accept the loss when you are taking the objectives. Taking losses because you are going in undermanned and underequipped is a lot harder to swallow.