Today's defence-related news includes further coverage of the territorial defeat of Daesh and the 75th anniversary of the Great Escape.
The territorial defeat of Daesh in Syria
The Times leads with warnings that Daesh still poses a significant threat despite its loss of territory and warns that Daesh grew within a vacuum, and could return in a vacuum too. The Telegraph focuses on the plight of those left behind. It reports that the UN has expressed “alarm” at the situation. The Independent tells the chronological story of the so-called caliphate’s rise and fall and the atrocities which demanded the world’s attention.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
This has been a long campaign ending the misery of millions, as Daesh swept through Syria and Iraq, and came so close to taking the city of Baghdad. But due to the tireless efforts of our service personnel, we have been able to beat them back, depriving them of territory and making sure that Britain is safer.
But we cannot be complacent. They’ve dispersed, and they’ll continue to pose a threat to Britain, and that is why we will always remain vigilant.
75th anniversary of the Great Escape
The Daily Express reports from Poland as RAF personnel led commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Great Escape in Poland on Sunday. They remembered the 76 prisoners of war who attempted to escape the Stalag Luft III camp.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
Today marks 75 years since our prisoners of war performed one of the greatest and most complex escape operations of all time. We must never forget that in the fight for freedom, and in the hopes of liberating themselves and their comrades, 50 courageous lives were lost.
Their bravery is a testament to the camaraderie and strength of the RAF, who worked tirelessly to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. Sadly, we are slowly losing our heroes of the Second World War, so it is more important than ever that we preserve their legacies by continuing to tell their stories.
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