Trying to support a military beyond the capabilities of the British government is a recipe for disaster, the British defense secretary said. The coalition government of British Prime Minister David Cameron had made a series of cutbacks to the country's military, including shelving five infantry battalions. British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond defended the cuts in an interview with British newspaper The Sun. "There's no point having a cardboard army. We want a real army with real equipment and real fighting capability," he said. "Trying to pretend that we can afford something we can't is a route to disaster because you end up with people not properly equipped to do the job you're asking them to do." Cutbacks in defense spending will cut the British army ranks by 20,000 to 80,000. This comes despite the call up for more than 18,000 troops to provide security for the 2012 Summer Games in London. Cameron, in a separate interview with the BBC, said that, despite the cuts, the British military will "still be perfectly capable" of warfighting and providing national security for events like the Olympics. Cameron last year announced 500 soldiers would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2012. The defense secretary told the House of Commons that most of those forces would be combat troops.
GMT 12:09 2018 Monday ,26 November
Black Friday less wild as more Americans turn to online dealsGMT 15:07 2018 Sunday ,18 November
Refugee host countries discuss UNRWA's financial crisisGMT 17:22 2018 Wednesday ,31 October
Russia climbed to 31st place in Doing Business-2019 ratingGMT 16:53 2018 Wednesday ,17 October
"Putin" We need for collective restoration of Syria's economyGMT 14:02 2018 Friday ,12 October
Govt to announce incentives package for Overseas PakistanisGMT 18:26 2018 Saturday ,06 October
Dubai attracts Dh17.7 billion in foreign direct investmentGMT 09:02 2018 Friday ,21 September
Economy of Georgia demonstrates "strong signs of recovery"GMT 09:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
German investor confidence surges in JanuaryMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor