RUSI in the News - July 2010

General Petraeus speaks at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference, expressing the need for British troops in Afghanistan and emphasising their 'world-class anti-terrorism expertise'.

Coverage: The Guardian, The Press Association

RUSI Future Maritime Operations Conference

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope speaks at the RUSI Maritime Operations Conference, stating that while Afghanistan remains a high priority for British forces, the country cannot afford to ignore its other security interests, for which the Navy is a necessity.

Coverage: BBC News, The Canadian Press

Nick Harvey MP warns that the armed forces will be affected by the current budget cuts, introducing a greater emphasis on quality of firepower over quantity of forces.

Coverage: The Daily Telegraph, Xinhua News Agency

Afghanistan

As the US commander in Afghanistan is asked to step down following an interview with Rolling Stones magazine, Theo Farrell points out  that the 'McChrystal effect' had produced positive results in the country.

Coverage: Monday Morning.com

As coalition forces begin to discuss exit strategies, Michael Codner notes the different priorities of each of the nations involved.

Coverage: Aljazeera

The proposed withdrawal of British troops from Sangin has raised speculation over the stability of the situation. However, Malcolm Chalmers , Michael Clarke and Michael Codner state that the decision does in fact make military sense.

Coverage: The Financial Times, The Guardian,  CNN, The Today Programme,  Channel 4 News, This is Cheshire, Xinhua News Agency

As the United States considers exit strategies, the quality of the Afghan army is called into question. Michael Clarke suggests that due to short training periods, Afghan soldiers are not reaching the level of their coalition trainers. Antonio Giustozzi comments on the extent of the difficulties facing the Afghan army.

 Coverage: The Daily Telegraph,  National Post, The Yorkshire Post, Huffington Post

With reports that a rogue Afghan soldier has killed three British servicemen, Michael Clarke warns that political, rather than military, strategies may be the most affected by the incident.

Coverage: The Guardian, The Daily Express, The Daily Telegraph, Channel 4 News, The Vancouver Sun, The Sydney Morning Herald

UK Armed Forces

With a military budget reduction promised in the upcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review, speculation is increasing over what form the cuts will take.  Michael Clarke suggests that the greatest reduction will occur in army personnel numbers. 

Coverage:  Reuters, The Financial Times

While the exact nature of the military budget cuts is not yet certain, Liam Fox MP warned the Royal United Services Institute that the government would act 'ruthlessly and without sentiment'.

Coverage: The Financial Times

As speculation arises that troop cuts may result in a merger of the Royal Marines and the Paratroopers, Michael Codner warns that a shake- up in command structure may cause the Marines to lose their high level of focus.

Coverage: The Daily Mail

As the SDSR approaches, the Treasury puts pressure on the Ministry of Defence to accept responsibility for funding Trident. Michael Clarke suggests that this may be a move to ensure that the Ministry seriously considers what savings can be made on Britain's nuclear deterrent.  Malcolm Chalmers points out the considerable savings the MoD must now make and whether an end to continuous-at-sea-deterrence could be the best way to reach budget targets.

Coverage: The Financial Times, The Evening Standard, The Herald Scotland, The Today Programme, Global Security Newswire, Defence Management, Politics.co.uk, Public service.co.uk

With the cost and necessity of Trident under discussion, a report by Nick Richie and Paul Ingram reveals that ending continuous at-sea-deterrence could save the country more than £11 billion.

Coverage: The Guardian, Politics.co.uk, BBC News

7/7 Bombings Anniversary

As the UK observes the anniversary of the July 7 bombings, Michael Clarke notes that younger terrorists learning from the mistakes of others are keeping the terrorist threat as alive as ever.

Coverage: The Voice of Russia

In order to combat this threat, the emergency services must improve levels of interoperability.  Jennifer Cole shows that understanding the component parts of each service is necessary to ensure an effective response in any situation.

Coverage: The Daily Mirror, The Yorkshire Post, BAPCO Journal

On the anniversary of the bombings, Tobias Feakin joins Al Jazeera to discuss the impact of the attack on British society and its Muslim community.

Coverage: Al Jazeera

Leaked Afghanistan War Documents

With the release of 92,000 classified documents related to the war in Afghanistan, Lisa Aronsson suggests that a disconnection is revealed between forces on the ground, political debate and public opinion.

Coverage: New York Times

Iraq Inquiry

After suggesting that the military presence in Iraq is exacerbating difficulties around the world, General Sir Richard Dannatt used a speech at the Royal United Services Institute to criticise military failures in the country.

Coverage: The Guardian

Russian Spy Ring

As a network of Russian spies is uncovered in the United States, Jonathan Eyal comments that the Russian secret service is likely to have a much more active presence in London, where there is real opposition to the Russian system.

Coverage: ABC News

Following the exchange of the ten spies uncovered in the United States for four individuals previously held in Russia, Jonathan Eyal considers that Moscow received the worse end of the bargain, having received little intelligence from its agents and now losing scarce political assets.

Coverage: The Associated Press, Sify News,

Aerospace

With large-scale military cuts approaching, speculation is arising over whether unmanned aerial vehicles could help to keep personnel costs low. However, Elizabeth Quintana comments that vehicles able to select targets independently will not exist for at least another decade.

Coverage: The Globe and Mail

As the A400M Military plane project reaches completion, its sales may depend on the support of the British military. Alexandra Ashbourne-Walmsley makes the point that if the host country is unsure of the project's value-for-money, its chances of selling abroad are considerably reduced.

Coverage: BBC News

Africa

With the EU proposing to end its reform of the Guinea-Bissau military, Knox Chitiyo argues that the move may damage international efforts to reduce drug smuggling in West Africa.

Coverage: Bloomberg Businessweek, CS Monitor

With existing concern over the quality of the police in Zimbabwe, Knox Chitiyo comments that it is the tension between politicisation and professionalism which is creating a negative effect on the efficiency of the service.

Coverage: Zimbabwe Independent

Middle East

With defence spending in the Gulf set to reach $83 Billion by 2015, Mark Thomas explains that it is anxiety over Iran's dominance which keeps spending levels high in the region.

Coverage: The Media Line

While Iran's military dominance may be causing concern in the region, Malcolm Chalmers notes that the country continues to use relatively low-tech military equipment.

Coverage:  BBC News

Nepal

At a time when Nepal's democratic future hangs in the balance, Oliver Housden comments on the difficult political and security situation within the country.

Coverage: The Guardian, OpenDemocracy.net