There is reporting in the papers this morning of the launch of the 2015 Christmas Box campaign for the armed forces, foreign fighters travelling to Syria and Iraq and the Defence Committee’s inquiry into the use of Lariam.
Daesh
The Telegraph reports that the number of foreign fighters who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join militant groups such as Daesh has more than doubled and could stand at 31,000, according to a recent study. The paper says the number of fighters has grown hugely since the beginning of the US-led raids against Daesh in summer last year. Separately, the paper carries a comment piece by Con Coughlin which looks at the UK’s fight against Daesh, suggesting Saudi Arabia is our ‘natural ally’ against the extremist group. He writes in the piece that the Saudis are as committed to defeating Daesh as they are to the removal of the Assad regime. A report in the Financial Times focuses on peace talks being led by Italy and the US to end the civil war in Libya amid mounting international concern at the growing strength of Daesh in the country.
Lariam
A story on the House of Common’s Defence Committee’s inquiry into Lariam is carried in The Independent, which says British and American medical experts have criticised the MOD for giving soldiers Lariam and lists all of the anti-malarial drug’s side effects. The paper reports that during an evidence session of the inquiry Lt-Col Ashley Croft, a former senior army officer and malaria expert, say that the MOD's position is "irrational, illogical, and unethical". The story also references that more than 1,000 British service personnel have needed psychiatric treatment since 2007 after taking Lariam, and that the drug’s manufacturers Roche has said it should only be given after an individual risk assessment by a medical professional.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
The MOD is cooperating fully with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC) inquiry into the safety of mefloquine. No anti-malarial treatments are without associated side effects and it is crucial we protect our personnel from this potentially fatal disease upon deployment to affected areas. As the Minister for the Armed Forces Penny Mordaunt said, mefloquine is not generally a first choice anti-malarial, but it is prescribed to some personnel when deployed in certain parts of the world or because of their medical history.
Mefloquine is only ever prescribed after an individual risk assessment, during which the side effects from other anti-malarials are considered: duration and location of deployment being two such factors. Based on expert advice, including that provided by Public Health England, the MOD continues to prescribe mefloquine as part of a range of recommended malarial prevention treatment and it is only ever prescribed after an individual risk assessment. The drug is recommended as an effective anti-malarial by international health agencies, including the World Health Organisation. It is used by civilians and military personnel throughout the world and there are no countries where the drug has had its licence withdrawn on safety grounds.
Christmas Boxes
The launch of the uk4u Thanks! Christmas Box scheme runs in the Daily Star and features case studies of UK Armed Forces personnel. The uk4u Thanks! Christmas boxes are sent to every Serviceman and woman serving away from their loved ones across the world over the festive period. UK Forces deployed at Christmas this year will be in various locations around the world, including the Middle East, Africa and in Europe, engaging in duties such as disrupting people trafficking in the Mediterranean, training in the Ukraine and supporting the counter-Daesh campaign and working with the UN in Cyprus. The charity will also send boxes to personnel based in the Falklands, those serving on HM Ships and Submarines, and to those recovering in hospital over the festive period.
Minister for Reserves Julian Brazier said:
I’m proud that the Ministry of Defence is supporting this campaign. The Christmas boxes offer more than a taste of home to those who are away. These boxes gift wrap our thanks, the thanks of a grateful nation, for everything our Servicemen and women do on our behalf. While our personnel might not be here in the UK for the festive season, they remain ever in our thoughts.
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