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Archive for the ‘Defence’ Category

Following the targeted assassination in the Yemen of Anwar al-Awlaki and three al-Qaeda associates by a drone on September 30^th various questions have been raised within the United States concerning the “extra-judicial” nature of this killing because two of them were US citizens.

To be fair to Americans, this is not an argument based upon whether a “US life is more valuable than any other” but in the ever litigious United States whether his “Rights under the American Constitution” were violated. Therefore the question becomes one of “Were the people who ordered and actually carried out the attack from within the borders of the USA, therefore guilty of a criminal offence ?” The drone actually being operated from a base in Nevada.

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It seems that very suddenly, the situation has changed dramatically in Libya but one suspects that behind all that has been a lot of hard work and patient build up in preparing for the final assault on Tripoli.

It is not over yet, there is still plenty of scope for further bloodshed and the ideal outcome that the fighting should stop fairly immediately, at this time is not in sight but, it may not be far away.

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Although at this time of the year with people away on their holidays, UK journalism like the TV schedules of endless repeats and nonsense, are never at their best but I was quite amused by an editorial in the Independent today on Afghanistan: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-giving-ground-to-the-taliban-2329612.html

It is difficult from reading this article to get a grip on what the “Writer’s view” actually is, that we should stay or go ? It is particularly funny coming from a newspaper which whilst not as arrogant as the Guardian, most times is as left wing and drippy as it.

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In the UK our “Sacred Cow” and some may argue, “White Elephant” too is the National Health Service which no politician and however rational their approach, may touch let alone reform properly as is so obviously required. The equivalent in the United States is Defence Spending or the Pentagon Budget and the same restrictions on reform of that puppy apply there too.

A running story (since 2001), is the progress or rather lack of progress of the Joint Strike Fighter which by common consent is likely to be the last manned fighter aircraft as unmanned drones will likely be the future of military warfare. Known as the F35, although the majority of the work is done in the USA, several International partners including the UK are taking part in the program in both funding and the manufacture of sub-assemblies for it. This project to my mind illustrates perfectly the many problems both military and economic that confronts the Western Nations today.

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With the deployment of 10 UK Military Advisers, similar numbers from France and Italy plus the US deploying a couple of armed ‘Raptor’ drone aircraft, there are numerous articles on “Mission Creep” and the “V” word (Vietnam), which rather ignores the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan which to say the least, have been chastening for the West and a check on American idealism.

For a flavour of the drivel being written, the following is a good place-holder: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8461863/British-troops-go-to-Libya-amid-Vietnam-warnings.html

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Although I often find even the European edition of Time magazine, far too “American” in terms of its content, from time to time, there are some really excellent articles and this past weekends edition is a case in point particularly with regard to Defence Spending. Entitled “How to Save a Trillion Dollars”, it is well worth reading: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2065108,00.html

Those who know me, might well say that I liked this article because it accords with many of the views I have been expressing and particularly with regard to Aircraft Carriers for some years now. However, I would suggest that it is far more than that because throughout history, there comes a moment in time when military thinking needs a radical overhaul, I would suggest that we have reached that point right now.

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An interesting story that will not doubt take time to evolve and will not be simple to resolve, concerns the recent events in Libya. However, the diplomatic efforts by Lebanon, France and the UK to get a “No Fly” Resolution passed at the UN deserve much praise as does US restraint so that the regional voices could come to the fore. One suspects that we have the US to also thank for the extensive writ for “All Means short of occupation” to enforce this Resolution.

Within the UK and despite much sneering initially, David Cameron having stuck to his guns, has done himself no harm by showing clear leadership on this matter and although it may not surface immediately, the “real story” concerning William Hague’s role in events will be interesting to discover, I suspect it will be far more positive than some in the Media will like.

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It was interesting to me, at least to see a contributor to the Independent newspaper finally, picking up on Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings shortly before leaving Office as the US President.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ike-was-right-all-along-the-danger-of-the-militaryindustrial-complex-2186133.html

Although the article was interesting, it was written for the wrong reasons by someone who seems oblivious to the political realities at play here (Rupert Cornwell). The “Industrial/Military Complex” that Eisenhower pointed to in the US has some resonance in the UK but not quite in the same way and it is important to understand the differences and from that, the way forward in looking at this problem.

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There was an interesting article by Patrick Cockburn in today’s Independent on the situation in Afghanistan and particularly a desire by some in the US Military to conduct “Hot Pursuit” operations over the Pakistani border with Afghanistan which he likened to US operations in Cambodia during the Vietnam war.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/patrick-cockburn-nixon-adopted-this-tactic-in-vietnam-it-wont-work-any-better-now-than-it-did-then-2166495.html

In a sense, the whole concept of “Hot Pursuit” is a Red Herring because if you can’t capture or kill your ‘enemy’ on your side of the border, you are hardly likely to do any better by crossing it. Also and let us be honest, if the enemy is within your gun sights, that they have crossed an imaginary line, won’t stop you pulling the trigger either.

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Given the current economic circumstances the defence review was always going to be extremely difficult, the two aircraft carriers that would cost more money to cancel them to continue building is a case in point. The further factor that would have a impact on such review is obviously the on-going war in Afghanistan which by its very nature, is going to distort any strategic concept that would go behind such a review.

The question still lies in really what kind of future war should we be preparing for and it is in this context that we need to look at how successful this defence review has been. Or might it be said that under the given current circumstances a defence review based purely on a “National Strategy” was a task to far however, given that there had not been a defence review for over a decade the coalition government had very little choice in the matter.

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