Writing about the Defence of this, our Country.
Along with my own article re defence of this Nation which was written
for Derek’s Magazine I place here an article, “UK Defence NEEDS”
written by two people who know far better than me the dire straights
the Defence of our Country is in. These two people are Air Cdre
Andrew Lambert and Allen Sykes from the UKNDA.
The tragic mess our Country is in at this moment in time is
highlighted in their Article which is well worth reading through and
if I can understand it, anyone can. By obeying desires of
foreigners-yes, and contrary to our own Constitution and ignoring
recent history of this Country- our very own Governments are working
towards and encouraging the forming of an EU Army, EU Navy (already
has been in action re Somalia) and EU Air-Force.
The first Article in these recent e-mails I have sent to you has shown
you how all in this Country can be made-with or without your
consent-into just EU Citizens. The second article will show you how
this Country will never be able to get out of the EU.
The Defence and Security of our Country is the most important of all
jobs any Government of this Country can do. Many people lay down
their lives for their Country, they are even losing their lives now in
Afghanistan for their fellow man-foreigners in a far away land. The
ones that have lost their lives can never come back to live out their
lives once again. It is not just their lives they are losing though,
because I look at my Grandchildren and now my Great Grand child who
would never have been born had my son been killed whilst serving in
Northern Ireland. When I see those wonderful people lining the
streets in Wootton Bassett as our brave Forces are returned to their
home-land, I realise it is not just their lives that are gone, but
their families future generation, and the gap that will never be
filled.
If you get your friends and associates to go directly to this url they
should be able to access it without the trial of searching across the
UKNDA site.
http://www.uknda.org/my_documents/my_files/UK_Defence_Needs_web.pdf
The UKNDA site is here
http://www.uknda.org/
For Military of the EU try here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_European_Union
This was sent to me via Derek Bennett from Torquil Dick Erikson, an up
to date article 18 Pages’
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/10/st05/st05842-re02.en10.pdf
As was this. A safer life for EU citizens
http://euro-police.noblogs.org/post/2010/03/03/a-safer-life-for-eu-citizens
And this
http://euro-police.noblogs.org/gallery/3874/0224pod08.jpg
In attachment is my article Ground Hog Day-Defence
The EU’s Motorway in the Sea.
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/infrastructure/networks_eu/motorways_sea_en.htm
Ground Hog Day.xxxxx a p . 9.2.2010.
Without doubt "National Security" and "Defence of the REALM" is THE most important job of any British Government and of each and every one of us here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In time of war, we may be conscripted, called upon to serve in one of the British Services. Without the means of defence always at the ready and/or without anyone prepared to defend it, we would soon lose our Country. There would be no British Government or British people. Sadly, from what our Government is doing today, what it is prepared to do is a repeat of what happened in 1939.
My interest in the subject stems from my youth, having gone through WWII with the sound of and watching on one occasion a so called ‘dog fight’ between a Spitfire and a German ‘plane, and a brother who was ‘plane’ mad who eventually became one of A.V. Roe’s Chief Design Engineers.
This perhaps is why I find it very difficult to understand what is happening today and why I truly believe our politicians of ‘today’ are so very foolish. It really does seem like Ground Hog Day- no one can ever be free and we have to keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
Our Government has brought out a Green Paper with their proposals, “Adaptability and Partnership: Issues for the Strategic Defence Review, dated Feb 2010.” Suggestions aired whether to scrap the three major services and amalgamate them into two? Which will go? Our Royal Navy? No more Rule Britannia, Britannia Rules the waves then? The Royal Air-Force? That wonderful force that helped win the Battle of Britain, certainly of the skies. The fantastic pride when we see and hear that one remaining Vulcan Bomber over-head. Or the British Army that is fighting day and night and losing so many soldiers in Afghanistan. Will it be the Royal Air-Force we lose because although we have allegedly ordered two mighty Aircraft Carriers, we have not ordered any new ‘planes, have we?
One question the Green Paper asks, “Should we further integrate our forces with those key allies and partners?” Definitely NO. All too often ‘friends’, ‘allies’ in today’s world can very quickly become enemies. I remember one of these so called ‘Friends’ in 1991, as our Army was preparing to go to forward to Kuwait, the Belgian Government refused permission for Belgium manufactured artillery shells to be delivered to Britain. If I ask you at this point in time, “Do you trust our politicians”? What would be your answer? Then ask yourself, should we trust foreigners that are politicians? With our defence? Our Security? Our Country?
There is no Winston Churchill around to save us now. What makes me really angry is that two MP’s have remembered we have our own Constitution (The Bill of Rights 1689) when its suits THEM, but along with all the rest have deliberately ignored it. However, the people haven’t forgotten, and much, if not everything our Parliamentarians are doing and have done may well be contrary to our very own Constitution and particularly the Queen’s Coronation Oath.
Much of what is happening now began Friday December 4th 1998 between President Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair at St Malo. The actual signing of the Defence Agreement was by Mr Robertson and his French Counterpart Alain Richard on board HMS Birmingham at the Port of St Malo. A letter of intent signalled a move towards the sharing of intelligence, joint planning and transport, even joint media handling. The UK Government made it clear apparently, that it would not surrender the rebate which was secured by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. If it wasn’t so tragic, it would be laughable
Our Forces have worked with NATO many times. NATO do not want to “govern us”, they do not make all our laws. We work however, ‘within’ the European Union. I look at the Treaty of Lisbon, Clause 188R, The Solidarity Clause which compels Member States to act together, and I couple that with the SOFA Directive which our Government have ratified in full and there is indeed a great deal of difference between NATO and the EU and the gulf between the two is large indeed.
What our Government did not explain is that they had, for a number of years, been contributing to The European Defence Agency since 2004. This is recorded in The European Defence Agency 2008 Financial Report June 2009. (Page 29), or the debates on the subject in Hansard in the next paragraph.
In answer to one recent question (28.1.2010), “UK support of the EU military capability helps strengthen the Common Security and Defence Policy and Europe’s contribution to NATO, both of which are in our national interest”. ”Money to the European Defence Agency is listed as Calendar Year 2008, 3.11 million. 2009, 3.03 million and estimated 4.01 million for 2010. The amount paid to the EDA since it was established in 2004 is given from another paper, as follows in Millions 2004-5 1.56. 2005-6 2.36. 2006-7 2.09. 2007-8 1.59.
In the 1939-45 war with just one sovereign Houses of Parliament all be it with an extraordinary man to lead this Country through that war, and with the full help of America which we could not have done without (which at no time wanted to Govern us or surrender our Sovereignty to them), that war was won. It did take us 60 years to repay our financial debt to them-yet a small price to pay for without their help we would have been governed by Hitler, then after him, who exactly would be over us? Another tyrant? We have certainly worked with or in a multinational Army before though, the “Allied Army” consisting of Members of the Commonwealth, Australia, New Zealand etc, the free Polish and free French, the Ghurkhas , but they worked with us, at no time did we end up Governing them or they governing us. Who will be in charge of the EU in years to come? How many years will it take us to repay the debt we are in now?
For many years our forces and equipment have been in line with the USA and NATO, all part of the ‘Special Relationship’ that had been built up over the years. Our Equipment was “compatible” with NATO. Our Forces need the best equipment, they need it on time and they need it to be British made where possible so that they can rely on it, and it can provide work for our own industries. What kind of Country are we if we cannot choose the very best equipment for our own Forces? Our Forces need to know they come first in everything, from their welfare, their accommodation when in the ‘field’ and the best accommodation for their families left at home. Equipment for the defence of our Country must come before all else, and that means before any Treaties deceitfully signed by temporary Governments without agreement by the people of this Country. Treaties that allegedly give the EU ‘competence’ over our ‘Constitution and laws,’ which is contrary to our constitution and a betrayal to the solemn Oaths they so swear before they take up Office. Everything must meet and be up to the standards we expect of them and what is stated in the Military Covenant, for our forces are prepared to lay down their lives for us.
The ECHR treats members of the Armed Forces as “citizens in Uniform” See Engel v Netherlands (1976). 54”…”The Convention applies in principle to members of the armed forces and not only to civilians”. Tell that to those forces that were scrambling to get out of that burning tank when our Soldiers clothes were on fire.
Many have been the changes regarding the Defence of the Realm, particularly as our Country got deeper and deeper involved with the European Union. A Dr Sara Beaver in giving ‘evidence’ (Hansard) 10th June said, “It was also recognised at St Malo in 1998 that the EU needed a capacity to do things autonomously, so national headquarters can be used where appropriate. There are the National Headquarters that France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece have offered for that purpose. As you will know there is another question about whether or not there should be a European capability, but one of the key principles for us in the United Kingdom has been to try and minimise any duplication. It would be wrong to say there is no duplication between the Agency and work that is done in NATO, but it will have a different focus”. Later on Dr Javier Solana was interviewed. On page 36 of that paper under the Heading European Commission Green Paper on Defence Procurement, with figures in Billions spent by the EU and the figures given for the UK. It made me wonder if it is wise to tell foreigners what this Country spends in defence of the Realm. A warning voice from the war years whispers in my ears, “Careless talk costs lives”.
After listening to the Secretary of State for Defence, (Geoff Hoon’s) speech in Parliament 16th December 2004 Col 1794 on the destruction of some of our great Regiments which he named. Michael Ancram, The Shadow Secretary of State remarked, “Behind the spin, the reality is stark. 19 great Regiments gone, infantry battalions cut from 40 to 36, the Army trained establishment cut from its current target of 108,500 to a target of 102,000 by 2008. Today’s announcements are dangerous to our country. In the words of the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Guthrie, in the Sunday Telegraph last Sunday, the Army “has become dangerously small for what it is being asked to do”. “Today’s statement will make it even smaller. The Secretary of State says that this is all about reorganisation. None of us is against necessary reorganisation, but this statement was driven not by a need to reorganise but by the Chancellor’s demand for financial cuts.” End of quotes.
I observe that these cuts were made at a time of “terrorism”, where we are being ‘spied’ upon and there is a need to have ID cards with details shared throughout the EU and/or ‘lost’. Throughout this speech not once was the EU mentioned and yes, the TREASURY was blamed for the cuts. Only that there are to be “an impressive re-equipment programme, introducing new communications equipment such as Bowman and Falcon, enhanced intelligence collection assets such as Watchkeeper UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) such as Panther armoured reconnaissance vehicle, and looking ahead, the ambitious FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) “armoured fighting vehicle programme, which will modernise the armoured vehicle fleet and form the basis of the medium weight capability.”
Over the years since then we have watched, unable to prevent, these wonderful regiments disbanded. Without any doubt at all, it was done to fit in the European Union’s idea of fighting forces. There would have been no change or reduction in our Forces-particularly at this point in time, had it not been for the European Rapid Reaction Force, The Battlegroups, etc, for the autonomous European Army. Equipment changed, compatible more to the EU than to NATO and upon reading the European Defence Agency: Evidence dated 10th 2004 the money required by the EU, funded by our Defence Ministry, and separate, over and above the general EU Budget.
Why hasn’t anyone from Government told us of these payments over recent years to the European Defence Agency? We have been paying this money when our fighting services have been short of equipment? I hope there is not one present MP re-elected come the next General Election, and no matter what laws they may bring in now, “No Parliament may bind another”. But will any of the three major political Parties change things? Why vote for them when there are other new faces waiting in the wings?
Slowly, slowly, our Governments have sold off most of our assets, our essential services, in fact everything they could get their hands on. Sold to foreigners to make a “quick buck” rather than keep in the long term and make money as we go along.
Much, much worse though and quite contrary to our Constitution, our Government would be giving authority over our forces to the EU.
You. Me, trying to wake people up to what is happening to our Country, and to those in Parliament that DO KNOW to try to get them to know that we know the horror, the great betrayal of what they between them have done. To get the people to work together to put these MP’s out of office come the next General Election, for the whole point of all three has been to get us to vote for any one of those three major Political Parties because they ALL want to remain in the EU.
The people and this Country have been bled dry by the EU. But the EU is not going to be the “United States of Europe” that Jean Monnet wanted, it is going to be one State of European Union, with its own EU Army, Air-Force and EU Military style Police Force and certainly an EU Navy because we know that is already in operation off Somalia. Unless the people use this very last chance they might have to change things, which is in the General Election by voting for would be MP’s that want a true Government that can actually Govern and make all the Laws according to our Constitution. One that would deliberately repudiate the EU Treaties. Failing that and seeing what Labour has done to our Country in 12 years, I should think the Conservatives will allow the EU to finish off the United Kingdom in five years and ‘welcome’ the fully operational twelve Regions of the EU. No more Ground Hog Day for there might not be a British Government to keep on making the same mistakes.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3309611.stm
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