Military Resettlement, Business, Training & Recruitment
Prime minister David Cameron says he’s opposed to sending British troops to Syria despite US intelligence that chemical weapons have likely been used
David Cameron reiterates President Obama’s claim that issue is a ‘red line’ but says ground forces will not be sent to conflict British troops are unlikely to be sent to Syria despite “limited but growing evidence” that chemical weapons have been used in the country’s civil war , David Cameron has said. The prime minister agreed with Barack Obama that the issue was a “red line”, but said he neither wanted nor expected it to precipitate the deployment of UK forces.
Iraqis brace themselves for start of US-led attack Reality finally came to Baghdad yesterday. Overnight, sandbags sprouted on football fields and roundabouts
As a British lieutenant during the war in Iraq, James Jeffrey went there with a sense of optimism. Ten years on, he explains why he feels ashamed about how we failed the people there All the commentary surrounding the Iraq invasion 10 years on encourages retrospection but I think most veterans, like me, would agree that talk of anniversaries makes scant difference
Former chief of defence staff Lord Guthrie criticises Bush administration but says Blair government must also share blame The way Britain was led into war with Iraq 10 years ago was “wholly irresponsible” and the lack of intelligence on the country a national disgrace, senior military figures have told the Guardian. Though they direct their fire principally at the Bush administration, they make clear the Blair government must share a lot of the blame. “It was absolutely irresponsible to go in without thinking of the consequences”, said Lord Guthrie, former chief of defence staff and head of the army.
Allegations of unlawful killing and mistreatment of prisoners by British soldiers denied by officers and troops involved Allegations that British soldiers tortured and unlawfully killed Iraqi prisoners after a firefight in 2004 are “utterly groundless” and were exploited in support of a propaganda campaign against the occupation of the country, a public inquiry heard on Monday. The killing and mistreatment claims are denied by each of the officers and men involved in that engagement, and by those involved in the capture and interrogation of Iraqis in its aftermath, Neil Garnham QC, counsel for the troops, told the inquiry. “They are denied on the basis that they are wholly untrue,” he said
British troops alleged to have murdered up to 20 prisoners after a fierce battle in May 2004, and tortured five other captives Photographs of dead Iraqis taken by a British army officer after a battle in the south-east of the country may be the key to establishing whether they were killed during that encounter or murdered after being taken prisoner, a public inquiry heard on Tuesday.
MoD rejects allegations British soldiers killed 20 unarmed civilians and abused others detained after battle north of Basra Allegations that British soldiers killed 20 unarmed civilians and abused others detained after a battle with Shia insurgents north of Basra in 2004 – the most serious allegations made against British soldiers in Iraq – are the subject of a public inquiry that opens on Monday. The al-Sweady inquiry – named after the family of Hamid, an alleged victim aged 19 – was forced on the Ministry of Defence in 2009 after high court judges accused it of “lamentable” behaviour and “serious breaches” of its duty of candour
Army veteran Joe McKenna, 72, who volunteers at the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment Lancashire Infantry Museum in Preston, left the military in 1970 just months before his Northern Ireland service medal was minted and eventually decided to track down his medal after years of attending parades where he was the only veteran not wearing one.
Overview The MOD art collection consists of over 1,500 items of fine art and antiques including paintings, drawings, engravings, photographs, clocks and furniture. All the items are in public ownership.
Afghan soldiers and police, supported by British troops, have completed an operation to clear insurgents from the Lower Gereshk Valley, in the north of Nahr-e Saraj district.
Personnel at North East England’s naval reserve unit HMS Calliope have been paid a visit by honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve Bear Grylls.
An RAF Search and Rescue crew was scrambled on Monday evening to assist a young woman who had plunged from a ferry into the North Sea. Report by Lorraine McBride.
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex has taken time out of his busy schedule to pay a visit to reservist troops from The London Regiment who are taking part in a two-week annual training camp in Catterick, North Yorkshire.
As an 8,000-tonne hull section of the Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier begins a 600-mile (966km) journey around the north coast of Scotland, a team of cyclists has set off to try and ‘beat the block’ to its destination.
The UK’s most senior Territorial Officer visited Territorial Army units in the North East of England last week to discuss the implications for the Reserve Forces following the Future Reserves 2020 Study recently published by the Government.
Soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment received huge receptions during hometown parades in North Yorkshire this week ahead of their deployment to Cyprus as the UK reserve battalion for operations in Afghanistan.
Nearly 3,000 people lined the streets of a North Yorkshire market town last week to welcome home from Afghanistan officers and airmen from RAF Leeming.
Defence Estates (DE) has delivered top-notch accommodation for soldiers based in North Yorkshire with the completion of a new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at Catterick.
Royal Naval medical personnel have recently been undertaking training in North Devon for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.