Today’s defence news features more on allegations made against troops following operations in Iraq and an article about Trident.
IRAQ HISTORICAL ALLEGATIONS
The Sun claims basic checks would have proved that allegations against UK troops in Iraq filed by 'legal jihadi' lawyers were nonsense. The paper cites case studies where law firms ‘failed to do the most basic background checks’. Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt is quoted in the article, and says:
These dodgy cases are brought against our Armed Forces by parasitic law firms with one aim in mind – profit. They do a grave disservice to their own profession.
An opinion piece by the Minister is on The Sun’s website. Mrs Mordaunt also spoke on the issue at length in a parliamentary debate last week, while we have blogged previously about the work of the IHAT.
The Daily Telegraph claims some Iraq abuse cases brought against British troops have so little detail or supporting evidence that military investigators have been unable to find any sign of the alleged victim. The paper writes that hundreds of cases are thought to have been submitted, many in the past year, with little more than a few sentences of allegations of unlawful killing or mistreatment. It reports that many of the allegations date back more than a decade.
TRIDENT
In an article in The Times, the newspaper reports calls for clarity over the timing of an expected parliamentary vote on the Trident successor.
The Defence Secretary recently visited HMS Vigilant at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, affirming the commitment to renewing the deterrent and meeting the personnel who deliver it 365 days a year. Mr Fallon said:
Around the clock nuclear deterrent is as crucial to Britain’s defence now as it has ever been. It is the ultimate guarantee of the nation’s security. We use our nuclear deterrent every day to deter a nuclear attack, nuclear blackmail and extreme threats that cannot be countered by any other means.
SYRIA
The Guardian writes that UN-brokered peace talks with the Syrian government and opposition have been suspended only three days after they began, and say this highlights the enormous difficulties of finding a political solution to the war and the world's worst humanitarian crisis. UN envoy Staffan De Mistura is quoted as saying “it is not the end and it is not the failure of the talks”, but links the move to mounting anger among the opposition that they are being pressured to negotiate while Syrian and Russian air attacks on rebel areas continue and escalate.
GURKHAS
The FT, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph report that around 450 Nepalese nationals, including several current and retired Gurkha soldiers, have lost £2.4m in a Ponzi scheme, according to City of London police. Reports say 13 people were arrested over the scheme last March.
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