Today’s defence news covers the latest Daesh propaganda video, allegations against British troops and the situation in Kabul and Libya, along with some unusual military pageantry.
DAESH PROPAGANDA VIDEO
Reporting continues in today’s print media on the latest Daesh propaganda video which purportedly shows the execution of five British spies. The reporting across nearly all of the papers, including The Guardian, Daily Mail, Sun, Daily Express, Daily Star and Daily Telegraph, focuses on the identity of the main masked man in the video, dubbed the new ‘Jihadi John’, and the small child that appears at the end of the video.
The Guardian reports that security agencies believe those executed in the video are not British spies. It is widely reported that MI6, GCHQ and MI5 have been analysing the video since its release.
It is widely reported that Prime Minister David Cameron has described the new Daesh video as “desperate stuff” from terrorists “losing territory” as a result of operations by countries including the UK. Reporting notes that the UK has carried out 11 air strikes against Daesh in Syria since December 2. The Financial Times and Daily Telegraph write that a Downing Street spokesperson rejected criticism that the RAF had run out of targets in Syria following the House of Commons vote last month to approve an expansion of Britain’s role in the anti-Daesh coalition, arguing that the focus had been on supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
The MOD can confirm that in Syria, RAF Tornado and Typhoon have conducted 11 successful strikes – dropping 21 Paveway IV guided bombs over the Omar oilfield, one of the most important to Daesh’s financial operations. In Iraq, they have carried out over 460 successful strikes. Our statement on operations against Daesh is below.
To help keep the streets of Britain safe we must continue to attack Daesh in Syria as well as in Iraq but we have always been clear that this is a fight that will take time and patience. This is one battlefield, over a border that Daesh does not recognise and we continue to play a leading role in the counter-Daesh coalition in both countries – flying over 1800 missions, conducting over 470 strikes in total and providing over 60% of the coalition’s vital tactical intelligence which will be one of the key factors that ultimately destroys the terrorist organisation.
The Sun’s reporting includes a reference to the alleged deployment of an RAF Airseeker aircraft which is said to have flown countless missions over Iraq and Syria listening to phone and radio conversations. The piece states that any voice interceptions of British-sounding fighters are immediately passed to the Air Warfare Centre at RAF Waddington and then given to GCHQ.
A comment piece in The Independent by Memphis Barker argues that the man in the latest video should not be mistaken for a serious Daesh target and that he is just another fool in a mask.
IRAQ HISTORICAL ALLEGATIONS
The Daily Mail continues its coverage of historical allegations from the Iraq conflict. The paper claims that military top brass have called for foreign citizens who make often ‘spurious’ claims of misconduct against British troops to be banned from claiming legal aid. The article states that the number of cases being examined by the IHAT team has reached the 1,500 mark.
A comment piece by Colonel Richard Kemp is also carried in The Daily Mail in which he says that time and again in recent conflicts, British soldiers have willingly put their lives on the line for our country yet instead of being honoured, they are targets for vexatious legal actions.
The Sun reports that government lawyers are toiling over legislation to permanently block bogus abuse claims against British soldiers. The short piece says that the MOD is confident that the British Bill of Human Rights will end the tide of abuse cases.
Both the Sun and Mail carry a statement from the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, the full version of which is below.
What we saw from cases like the Al-Sweady inquiry was a completely unacceptable attempt to abuse our legal system to falsely impugn our armed forces. The bottom line is that every false claim diverts defence spending from the front line. It also hinders our troops’ ability to act in difficult operational situations. That’s why last year, we made a clear manifesto commitment to ensure that our armed forces are not subject to persistent legal claims that undermine their ability to do their job. We are now working to deliver precisely that.
KABUL
The Times and Wall Street Journal briefly report that two bombs were detonated near Kabul’s international airport yesterday, injuring at least 30 at the gates of Camp Baron. The articles state that the violence came as Afghan forces ended a 25-hour siege involving suspected Taliban militants near the Indian consulate in the Northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
LIBYA
The Times, Independent and Wall Street Journal report that Daesh fighters in Libya attacked the country’s key oil terminals yesterday and seized a new town, Bin Jawad, in their latest drive for territory and funds. Colonel Bashir Boudhfira is quoted at length describing the attack saying that more than a dozen vehicles attacked Sidra and subsequently Ras Lanuf. An oil tanker containing 420,000 barrels caught fire during the fighting.
The Daily Telegraph speculates that there is fresh pressure for British troops to be deployed against Daesh in Libya after this latest siege. The article states that there are plans to send up to 1,000 troops to help Libya’s government push out Daesh and that they would form part of a 6,000-strong international training team. The article also states that the MOD declined to comment on reports that Special Forces were already doing ground recces for a large-scale anti-Daesh offensive around Sirte.
It is MOD policy not to confirm or deny stories relating to Special Forces.
MISS WALES
The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and The Daily Star report that Royal Engineer Victoria Grinnall is in the finals of Miss Wales with the full support of her commanding officer. Sapper Grinnall is quoted saying that “I might be a soldier but I like to be feminine too”, and added that her commanding officer, also a woman, had been extremely supportive.
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