Britain faces decades of faraway wars, says Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth

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Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has warned that Britain faces decades of warfare in faraway lands.

In a major speech, Ainsworth backed the interventionist approach of Blair and Bush and said that British citizens could only be protected by 'projecting military power beyond our borders'. Britain is second only to America in its worldwide force projection capabilities. Unlike two other large Western European nations, Britain is not afraid to send large numbers of troops abroad.

Ainsworth's speech raises the possibility that British forces could be sent to centres of extremism such as Iran, Yemen or Somalia in the coming decades.

Ainsworth also argued that ' preemptive strikes' would be needed to protect national interests from regimes harbouring Al Qaeda or trying to develop nuclear, chemical and biological warheads.

The number of British troops killed in Afghanistan now stands at 251, just four away from the total killed in the 1982 Falklands War. The lastest death is that of Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper. The 21-year-old, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was killed in Helmand Province on Sunday.

Britain has 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, more than any nation other than the US.

Since 2002, Britain has led its own military operation in Afghanistan, Operation Herrick.

Britain faces decades of faraway wars. It's the only way to protect Britain against terrror, warns Defence Secretary

By Ian Drury
26th January 2010
Daily Mail


Decades of conflict: Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said UK citizens could only be protected by 'projecting military power beyond our borders'

Britain faces 'decades of conflict in distant places' where failing states support terror, the Defence Secretary warned yesterday.

In a major speech, Bob Ainsworth backed the interventionist approach of Tony Blair and George Bush - a policy critics have often described as 'war-mongering'.

He said UK citizens could only be protected by 'projecting military power beyond our borders'.

It raised the spectre of the Armed Forces being sent on further operations similar to Iraq and Afghanistan, in other nations seen as crucibles of violent extremism or sponsors of terror, such as Yemen, Iran or Somalia.


British soldiers in Afghanistan

Mr Ainsworth described a 'new age' of conflict and instability where Britain would not have to deal directly with 'hostile countries that threaten our borders' as in the Cold War.

Instead, he argued that ' preemptive strikes' would be needed to protect national interests from regimes harbouring Al Qaeda or trying to develop nuclear, chemical and biological warheads.

Mr Ainsworth told a security conference at the Chatham House think-tank in central London that it was vital to work closely with Nato and European Union allies because the threats could not be tackled 'in isolation'.

He said: 'In my judgment, defending our citizens in the coming decades will require projecting military power beyond our borders.'

In a message that alarmed anti-war campaigners, Mr Ainsworth predicted that British forces would be involved in a string of new conflicts.

He said: 'Let's be clear, Afghanistan is not the only place we need to confront the threat posed by violent extremism.

'Nor is it the only place in the world where conflict, instability or a lack of governance undermines international security.'

But he said: 'We must see the job through in Afghanistan. If we don't, the consequences are profound.'

Failure to defeat the Taliban would embolden cells of violent extremists determined to attack Britain, risk serious instability in the region and severely damage Nato's credibility.

On top of the threat of failed states providing a stronghold for anti-Western terror groups, he said climate change and diminishing natural resources such as oil and gas would spark volatility across the globe.

Mr Ainsworth added: 'We face today a series of threats that will require the projection of power beyond the region to defend our security. My judgment is that conflict and instability in this new age will be ever present.

'In the coming decades, I've no doubt that our Armed Forces and our security institutions will be called upon to protect our mutual interests, often in distant places.'

His comments echo the policies followed by Mr Blair, who pursued a series of interventions in states that were teetering on the brink of collapse.

He deployed British troops to quell unrest in the Balkans, before sending the military to crush an uprising in Sierra Leone, and unseat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

However, Mr Blair's determination to back the U.S. in toppling Saddam Hussein in Iraq, despite concerns about the invasion's legality, seriously undermined his authority and led to his downfall.

Chris Nineham, spokesman for the Stop The War Coalition, said Mr Ainsworth's comments were 'frankly alarming'.

He said: 'The experience of the past eight years has shown conclusively that "projecting military power beyond our borders" is making the world a more dangerous and unstable place.

'Not content with causing mayhem in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Ainsworth is now suggesting extending the war to other countries. Unlike most people, the Government seems to have learnt nothing from the disasters of the Blair years.'

LATEST BRITISH SOLDIER TO DIE IN AFGHANISTAN NAMED



The latest soldier to die in Afghanistan was named yesterday as Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper.

The 21-year-old, pictured, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was killed in an explosion as he tried to clear a path in an area south of Sangin, in northern Helmand, on Sunday morning.

His parents Karl and Caroline paid tribute to 'a caring son, brother and partner'.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, Commanding Officer 3 Rifles Battle Group, praised the soldier from Hereford as 'the complete package; fit, bright and dedicated to his work'

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Britain faces decades of faraway wars. It's the only way to protect Britain against terrror, warns Defence Secretary

The GREEN wars... invade, take the energy and make the green.