In today's Defence news there is reporting that a British military team has undertaken a secret mission to Libya, and coverage looking at the UK's contribution to UN peacekeeping.
Libya
The Sunday Times carries a story that a team of British military and intelligence officers undertook a secret reconnaissance mission to Libya to plan RAF airstrikes against Daesh. The paper reports that the mission was to build up intelligence on the location of Daesh fighters and draw up potential targets for possible British and coalition airstrikes. The MOD will not comment on this report, but our position on the current situation in Libya can be seen in full below.
An MOD spokesperson said:
“The UK, along with international partners, is supporting the process to form a recognised Libyan government and we are developing plans to support this. No decisions have been made about the future deployment of any British military forces to Libya as part of an international coalition force.”
Women in combat
An article carried in the Mail on Sunday says senior military officers are preparing to go to war with Prime Minister David Cameron over his decision to let female soldiers join frontline combat units. The paper claims that the senior officers are said to be ready to speak their minds behind closed doors and tell the PM to ditch his plans. The piece carries the MOD's position, which can be seen below.
An MOD spokesperson said:
A final decision is expected to be made in mid-2016 which will be informed by the ongoing review into opening ground close combat roles to women. This review is focusing on physiology and the potential risks to women’s health. It is also considering the potential effects of many other relevant factors such as the cultural, legal and financial effects.
Peacekeeping missions
The Sunday Telegraph reports that hundreds of British troops will be sent to Africa as part of a peacekeeping mission. The paper reports that up to 300 personnel are expected to be sent over the course of several deployments to the UN mission to South Sudan, and that a further 70 are earmarked for a separate deployment in Somalia. A quote from the Defence Secretary is carried in the article, which can be seen below.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
This is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our Armed Forces. It will support UN efforts to end some of the world's most destabilising conflicts, helping to tackle a key driver of migration.
Armed Forces
In an editorial in the Sunday Times, which also provides the paper's front page splash, Prime Minister David Cameron criticises Britain's top universities for falling to recruit more black students, saying that racism in the UK's leading institutions, including the Armed Forces, "should shame our nation". The MOD strongly supports diversity in the Armed Forces, and our position can be seen in full below.
An MOD spokesperson said:
“Diversity is one of our nation’s greatest strengths and if we are to recruit the best personnel into our Armed Forces, we must draw talent from all of the society they represent. This issue is a priority for the MOD and we will do everything possible to increase the number of new recruits from minority communities.”
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