Britain: Ret. Gen. David Richards - Ukraine, Syria, Libya

SOURCE https://www.politicshome.com/foreign-and-defence/articles/story/former-military-chief-cameron-lacked-balls-over-syria POLITICS.HOME Written by agnes.chambre Last updated 30.08.15 Posted on: 30.08.15 Former military chief: Cameron lacked balls over Syria A former military chief has accused David Cameron of allowing the rise of Islamic State by not crushing the group militarily. General Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, who was chief of defence staff from October 2010 to July 2013, said the Prime Minister had “lacked balls” to take action against the extremist group when it first arose. He told Sir Anthony Seldon in a new biography of Mr Cameron that the Prime Minister was more interested in persuing a “Notting Hill liberal agenda” than “statecraft”. The peer added: "In Ukraine, as in Syria and Libya, there is a clear lack of strategy and statecraft. The problem is the inability to think things through." Lord Richards also announced last year that Mr Cameron had rejected a “coherent military strategy” for taking on Syrian president Bashar al Assad, which he claimed would have seen the Islamic extremists "squeezed out of existence". SOURCE https://www.politicshome.com/foreign-and-defence/articles/story/former-military-chief-cameron-lacked-balls-over-syria ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- LOOK-UPS 'PoliticsHome' "political journalist Paul Waugh at the helm ... exclusive editorial from MPs, peers and policy stakeholders" "PoliticsHome is produced by Dods, the specialist political publishing house. You can learn more about Dods by visiting the website." https://www.politicshome.com/about DODS Data Since 1832 provided political reference data now cover people & institutions in both the UK + Europe Intelligence ... News ... 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Huveaux has now completed ten successful acquisitions over the past four years and employs more than 450 staff in London, Paris, Brussels and four UK regional offices. http://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=200609040700184115I Martin Beck Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director,Dods (Group) PLC http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=252104238&ticker=DODS:LN ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Gen David Richards Baron Richards of Herstmonceux retired senior British Army officer formerly the Chief of the Defence Staff (ie professional head of the British Armed Forces) University College, Cardiff, 1974 a degree in international relations Royal Artillery Far East Germany United Kingdom x3 tours in Northern Ireland 1998 - Chief of Joint Force Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) British tri-service HQ (army, navy, airforce) plans & controls all overseas military ops  Commanded by: Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) est. 1996 to: re:  UK-led joint, potentially joint & multi-national ops purpose to: enhance the operational effectiveness and efficiency  exercise command of UK forces assigned to multinational ops led by others Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Joint_Headquarters 1999 UK Contingent in East Timor as part of INTERFET 2000 twice commanded a UK Joint Task Force in Sierra Leone 2006 (Jul) command  International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in southern Afghanistan was passed to NATO forces under his command Richards promoted to the acting rank of full general (4-star) 2009 widely criticised re claim British troops may have a role in Afghanistan for up to 40 years 2009 Chief of the General Staff (professional head of Army) 2010 Says: intelligence & security agencies dealing with Middle East / do not want to open another [military] front but may be necessary 2011 General David Richards ( + other senior NATO officers) sought backing from NATO member states to intensify the war effort Libya by directly targeting Col Gaddafi's govt instead of merely 'protecting' Libyan civilians Said: "The United Nations resolution allows NATO to 'use all necessary means' in Libya" Syrian Civil War Richards drew up plans to train and equip a Syrian rebel army of 100,000 to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad,  as alternative to UK govt’s plan for limited direct military involvement Plans rejected by the National Security Council (NSC) as too ambitious National Security Council  (NSC) (United Kingdom) est. 12 May 2010 by PM David Cameron purpose:  coordinate responses to 'threats' to UK NSC = a Cabinet Committee ovesees all issues re: national security intelligence coordination defence strategy terms of reference: national security foreign policy defence international relations international development resilience energy resource security https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Council_%28United_Kingdom%2 2013 (Aug) UK parliament refused to support the govt's plan to participate in military strikes against the Syrian govt. David Cameron 'knew British pilots were bombing Syria' MoD admits UK personnel carry out Syrian bombings, despite Parliament not authorising action, by being embedded with allied nations - latest reaction http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11745689/British-pilots-in-air-strikes-against-Isil-in-Syria-live.html Other: 2013 Ret. Gen David Richards =  a Senior Adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) patron of the Armed Forces Muslim Association 2014 (Jun) - Richards said that Britain's Armed Forces will be like a banana republic's if the Ministry of Defence kept cutting costs 2014 (Oct) - says Western strategy of air strikes on ISIS insufficient.  Spouse:   trustee of charities Plant for Peace and The Afghan Appeal SOURCE - above (unless otherwise marked) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Richards,_Baron_Richards_of_Herstmonceux ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Well, that was an interesting read. Was curious about the publication:  PoliticsHome. Publication is under the umbrella of a publicly listed media company.  But I don't know who has controlling share of the company. Thought it was funny that there's the retired general, pro more taxpayer funding of the military, and pro British military interventions etc, while his missus is involved in some 'Plant for Peace' charity and an Afghan charity.   The NSC response to 'threats' to UK would largely be related to formulating response to challenges to the interests of British corporations and British corporate agendas abroad (and those of their allies), rather than to actual physical threats to the British isles.   The NSC terms of reference are interesting.  As I see it, it pretty much sets out the scope of support by government for UK corporate agenda interests abroad.  terms of reference: national security foreign policy defence international relations international development resilience energy resource security Wonder what 'resilience' covers? Interesting that the British have got an eye on Ukraine, in addition to the Middle East.   Surely the Americans can handle sustaining control of Ukraine, post CIA coup, on their own? PS  ... don't know what 'security agencies' are, if they're distinct from 'intelligence' and if they're not military.  What is the distinction, I wonder?  ꕤ