Statement from Stop the War Coalition
Introducing the Strategic Defence and Security Review on 19 October 2010, the Prime Minister assured MPs that the coalition government remains ‘fully committed’ to military action in Afghanistan. He had, he said, heeded all advice on how cuts in the Ministry of Defence budget would affect this, now and in the future.
Army numbers are to drop 7,000 by 2015, for example, but there will be no reduction in the 9,500 British troops in Afghanistan. Indeed, David Cameron promised extra resources ‘to meet the full costs of that campaign’.
Why you may ask, during the worst economic crisis in over half a century, does this unwinnable war remain so central to his priorities?
The answer is straight forward. This Conservative-LibDem government, like other British governments before it, has put the so-called special relationship with the United States above public spending cuts.
That is the crucial – if silent – strategic decision of the Review. Britain will continue to play the role of the United States’ chief ally in Europe; and its military forces must be organised so to do.
It is why the war in Afghanistan is ring-fenced. It is why the prime minister has made a cast-iron pledge to retain Britian’s nuclear weapons; and why, even after cuts of around 8% in the Ministry of Defence’s budget, UK military spending will remain above Nato’s target level for member countries of 2% of gross domestic product.
These commitments make little sense in terms of the risks identified in the National Security Strategy, which is supposed to be the basis for the Review’s strategic re-think of Britain’s military capabilities. Events have shown that the threat of terrorist attack on Britain – identified as a high priority by the NSS– is made more not less likely by our involvement in Afghanistan.
The NSS assertion that ‘...for the foreseeable future, no state or alliance will have both the intent and the capability to threaten the United Kingdom militarily, either with nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction, or with conventional forces’ flatly contradicts any rationale for the Trident nuclear weapons system.
A genuine reassessment of Britain’s military and security stance is urgently needed. The government must think again about its commitment to the war in Afghanistan.
A large majority of public opinion is on our side. Join us on the streets of London on Saturday 20th November to tell the government it’s time to go!
