Afghanistan: we must reach out to insurgents, says defence secretary – video
Philip Hammond says that as British troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Nato allies must embrace insurgents who renounce violence
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Philip Hammond says that as British troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Nato allies must embrace insurgents who renounce violence
Afghans will determine their own fate, says defence secretary, as MPs warns country could descend into civil war within years The defence secretary has admitted that no one can predict what will happen to Afghanistan after British, US and other Nato troops end their frontline role there at the end of 2014, and stressed that only the Afghan people can find a lasting solution to the country’s violence, corruption and lawlessness. Philip Hammond’s remarks came as the Commons cross-party defence committee warned that Afghanistan could descend into civil war within a few years and suggests that the British government’s attitude towards the country is one of simply hoping for the best. Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the UK had intervened in Afghanistan to protect its national security and had never intended to stay for a protracted period
Commons committee criticises British government’s attitude towards Afghanistan as simply ‘hoping for the best’ Afghanistan could descend into civil war within a few years of British, US and other Nato troops ending their frontline role there at the end of 2014, the Commons cross-party defence committee warned on Wednesday. The committee suggested that the British government’s attitude towards Afghanistan was one of simply hoping for the best, since it would have little influence over the country’s future
In open letter, senior figures including Mike Jackson and Lord Ashdown, critical of ‘shameful’ UK stance Britain has a “moral obligation” to help Afghan interpreters who are in danger of being abandoned and hunted down by the Taliban, senior political and military figures have said. In an open letter, the high-profile names, including former chief of the general staff, Sir Mike Jackson, and Lord Ashdown, said it is shameful that Britain is the only Nato country yet to provide Afghan interpreters with asylum.
Calls for benefit reform in the wake of Philpott’s conviction for manslaughter are predictable but troubling. Can one man’s sick psyche really be a political issue? It’s fairly predictable that Mick Philpott’s extreme perversity and
Second world war physician invent new surgical techniques to rebuild faces left unrecognisable by burns from combat The design for a unique memorial honouring the pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, the hundreds of second world war air crew whom he rescued from despair, and the town of East Grinstead that was a crucial part of their rehabilitation, will be unveiled in the town on Friday. The project has been acutely personal for its sculptor, Martin Jennings.
David Cameron renews call for Trident replacement by saying a deterrent system is ‘best insurance against nuclear blackmail’ David Cameron said on Thursday that Britain would be foolish to abandon an independent nuclear deterrent on the scale of Trident, pointing to the threat posed by North Korea, and other unstable regimes. Cameron made his remarks (video)after visiting submarine HMS Victorious, one of the vessels that carry the Trident missile, as it returned from its 100th patrol – though his warning that North Korea posed a direct threat to Britain was later challenged by senior defence figures. The prime minister’s renewed backing for a like-for-like replacement for Trident appeared to be aimed at the Lib Dems and the Scottish nationalists.
David Cameron says North Korea’s nuclear possibilities are a ‘real concern’ for the UK, after visiting a British Naval nuclear submarine on Thursday
What we should be scared of is not the North Korean’s belicosity but how it’s being used to subvert domestic politics in the west The enemy is coming. Declare war, dive for Cobra , hide the silver, lock up your daughters. A grateful nation cheers on its leader and saviour, Kim Jong-Cam, as he races north to prepare his war machines for battle.
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David Cameron says scrapping nuclear deterrent would be foolish in face of ‘evolving threats’ from North Korea and Iran The prime minister has stressed the need for the UK to retain its Trident nuclear deterrent, saying it would be “foolish to leave Britain defenceless” in the face of the growing threat posed by North Korea and Iran. David Cameron’s insistence on the need for an independent nuclear deterrent came as the US said it was moving an advanced missile system to the Pacific island of Guam as Pyongyang continued to ratchet up the rhetoric against South Korea and its American ally. Writing in Thursday’s Daily Telegraph , the prime minister said such “evolving threats” underlined the need for the UK to maintain the ultimate deterrent.
UK should not be left defenceless against “highly unpredictable and aggressive” regime that threatens UK, says prime minister David Cameron has warned against abandoning Britain’s Trident nuclear submarine programme, claiming it would be foolish to do so due to the threats posed by North Korea. The prime minister said the country should not be left defenceless when the “highly unpredictable and aggressive” regime in North Korea was developing ballistic missiles that he claimed could threaten Europe. Writing in the Daily Telegraph,, Cameron said the UK needed to maintain the ultimate deterrent as much today as during the cold war
Readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts Is it possible to join an army as a private and rise to the rank of general? Has this ever happened in the British Army? Rishi Dastidar, London SE11 • Post questions and answers below or email them to nq@guardian.co.uk
Ed Miliband is right to include defence in the current Labour party policy review, and Angela Smith and John Woodcock are out of order to suggest that the policy is settled ( Our deterrent is good value , 1 April). It’s about time the country had a defence policy based on the highest risks that we face
British soldiers and airmen served at a secretive US detention facility that was the scene of some of the worst human rights abuses of the Iraq war Ian Cobain Paddy Allen
The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service become one, ending an old rivalry The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service, become one, and an old rivalry is ended in a single identity of uniform.