They call it defence

[Young Master Smeet]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34897803

Quote:

• Two new "strike brigades" will be created by 2025
• These are designed to be rapidly deployable over thousands of kilometres thanks to "a much lower logistical footprint"
• Each brigade will comprise 5,000 personnel from existing Army numbers
• They will use a new range of 600 Scout armoured vehicles, which has six variants

So, this is all about force projection, and fighting expeditionary wars, nothing to do with 'keeping us safe in our beds'.

[SocialistPunk]

But YMS, surely it's a reasonable response to "evildoers" such as Daesh?

[Young Master Smeet]

There are plkenty of options, if dealing with IS is your objective, that don't involve military force.  Attacking their money supply, and the oil trade in the ME, dealing with the support IS are getting from Saudi and Turkey, withdrawing UK military from the region generally as a sign of good faith, etc.  Practical assistance for the Iraqi government in civil society governnance. The simple question is, why does the UK need to be able to project it's force into the ME?  IS is not an existential threat to Britain, and we can ask many questions about the value of the number of lives that will be saved by bombing IS rather than spending the same sum a different way.

[ALB]

Young Master Smeet wrote:

The simple question is, why does the UK need to be able to project it's force into the ME?  IS is not an existential threat to Britain, and we can ask many questions about the value of the number of lives that will be saved by bombing IS rather than spending the same sum a different way.

I've been asking that question myself and the only answer I can come up with is to project an image of being a world power (mightier is rightier) and/or to suck up to the US. There is no military necessity (there are enough bombers there already, 3 or 4 from Britain won't make much difference), nor economic (what's happened to austerity?) nor the security of ordinary people in Britain (quite the opposite — it will increase the chances of a Paris here). So it appears that the UK government is prepared to take the risk of a Paris-style massacre here for reasons of power politics and prestige. Which shows that, whatever the reason, is not for our security as people.But the government and the lickspittle media are determined to bomb Syria. Poor Jeremy. He's doing his best to be a voice of sanity but he's attacked relentlessly and stabbed in the back by some of his own MPs.

[jondwhite]

Two weeks ago, they could have timed the defence spending announcement to coincide with Remembrance Sunday. 'We will not forget …' or regret or understand apparently.

[Young Master Smeet]

ALB wrote:

But the government and the lickspittle media are determined to bomb Syria. Poor Jeremy. He's doing his best to be a voice of sanity but he's attacked relentlessly and stabbed in the back by some of his own MPs.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151123/debtext/151123-0001.htm#1511232000639Hist contribution yesterday was interesting, trying to lift things away from gung-ho militarism, and suggest that security comes from solving other of the world's problems.

Quote:

We are naturally focused on the immediate threats today, but it is disappointing that there is insufficient analysis in the national security strategy of the global threats facing our country and people around the world, including inequality, poverty, disease, human rights abuses, climate change and water and food security—[Interruption.] I have no idea why Conservative Members find food security such a funny subject. The flow of arms and illicit funds enables groups such as ISIL to sustain themselves and grow.

[jondwhite]

Other than Hansard was this Corbyn contribution reported anywhere because the angle of his bow on Remembrance Sunday was widely and prominently reported.

[Young Master Smeet]

That tended to get circulated more, from what I've seen, which is an old dirty trick of taking a split second shot and making it seem that Eagle and Watson spent their whole time looking away from Corbyn.

[alanjjohnstone]

If i recall there are plans for an EU brigade to undertake the exact same sort of missions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EU_BattlegroupAnd of course there are NATO units to do the samehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_Response_Force So i think the UK government is ignoring the principles of coalitions and i foresee that they will take action unilaterally (i can't actually envisage a scenario except the Falklands sort of situation) or more likely bilaterally with an ally (the USA being the obvious but perhaps with France in Africa) that cannot get EU or Nato approval. 

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