This morning’s news continues to be dominated by the ongoing refugee crisis, as well as further discussion of whether the UK should extend British military action from Iraq into Syria.
There is also reporting that an investigation has begun into the death of a soldier after an incident at St David’s Barracks in Bicester.
Death of a Soldier at St David’s Barracks
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, The Times and the Daily Star all report on the death of a soldier at St David’s Barracks in Bicester yesterday.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
We can confirm that a soldier based at St David’s Barracks in Bicester has sadly died during an incident on the barracks. A full investigation is now underway.
Our thought are with the soldier’s family and friends at this tragic time.
Army Conduct
The Daily Telegraph covers the launch of the Army Leadership code, writing that the Army is “cracking down” on bullying, harassment but that former commanders have said that “conduct that offends others” must not be allowed to outlaw military banter and mickey-taking. The paper says that the Army’s fighting spirit and effectiveness will be undermined if it is turned into a “sterile and humourless place”.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, discussed the Leadership Code on yesterday’s Today programme that will see the Army crackdown on bullying and sexual harassment. He said the Army should "accept everyone in an inclusive way" and project a "no tolerance" message against prejudice.
General Carter said the Army recognised:
the world was moving on, and the Army had to move with it. I'm not arguing for political correctness, what I'm arguing for is to live by our values and standards and to accept everyone in an inclusive way. I think there is a risk we will lose sight of our ultimate goal, which is to close with and kill the Queen's enemies, and we have to have that at the forefront of our mind, but equally we cannot accept unacceptable behaviour.
You can read more here.
Refugee Crisis / Syria
The majority of papers, including the Financial Times report on the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that Britain will accept thousands more Syrian refugees, pledging aid worth £1bn to those fleeing the Syrian conflict. However, he said that Britain will only take part in air strikes on ISIL targets in Syria with "genuine consensus" among politicians.
The UK continues to play a leading role in activity that has, so far, seen ISIL lose 25% of its territory in Iraq - RAF aircraft have carried out more than 270 air strikes and have flown over 1,200 missions, we have around 800 people supporting operations against ISIL and have trained nearly 2,000 Iraqis on the ground.
Find out more about the UK Government’s actions to counter ISIL.
Cyber Warfare
Today The Times reports on comments from Professor Michael Howards, one of Britain’s “most distinguished historians” that cyber wars could be as damaging as nuclear warfare but much harder to prevent.
The MOD recognises the importance of investing in cyber security, and our approach to protecting against and mitigating the impact of cyber attacks spans technical, organisational, procedural and physical measures.
We know that the cyber threat is continually changing in scope and complexity. And as a result we are not complacent about our defences and continually review and adjust our security measures, adopting new approaches to deal with the most sophisticated threats.
Iraq Inquiry
There is continued coverage of the Chilcot Inquiry in the papers today, with the Daily Mail suggesting that Sir John Chilcot has threatened to force military families to pay tens of thousands of pounds if they take him to court. The families say he has resorted to "bully boy" tactics to frighten them into dropping their legal action and that Government lawyers acting on his behalf are to write a letter to families saying he will seek costs if the High Court challenge is thrown out.
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