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Four more US soldiers die in Nato's worst Afghan year
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent25.08.09
Four US servicemen were killed in Afghanistan today making it the bloodiest year for Nato since the conflict started.
The deaths brought the number of foreign troops who have died in the war-torn country this year to 295 - one more than in the whole of last year, according to a group which compiles data from countries in the alliance.
British armed forces have suffered heavily in recent months, with 69 deaths this year and 206 since the conflict began in 2001.
The four Americans were killed by a roadside bomb in the south.
In Britain, the Ministry of Defence was accused today of a £200million blunder by trying to design software for Chinook helicopters. Eight of the Mk3s, intended for special forces missions, were ordered from Boeing in 1995 for £259million.
But The Times reported defence insiders as saying: "Boeing told them they would have trouble but the MoD believed it could do it better." The bill to convert the helicopters will be £200million.
