Month: April 2018

It is good news that a high ranking economic delegation has been visiting the House of Commons.  Britain is the partner of choice for many Libyans and can assist the reconstruction of its war-torn cities.  With the security situation improving on a daily basis, the country can once again can play a leading role in the Mediterranean and North Africa.

The Daily Mail writes today that the Storm Shadow used in the attacks on Syrian chemical installations is “arguably the most advanced weapon of its kind in the world”.  However, its reliability was questionable when it was first introduced.  We found one that had failed to explode in the Libyan desert in 2012 and sent it back to England on a C-130 aircraft.  I hope the technicians have improved its performance since then.

See Chapter 6 of Belfast to Benghazi for this and other remnants of war stories from Britain’s last attempt to change a regime using Air Power.

http://www.waterstones.com/book/belfast-to-benghazi/rupert-wieloch/9781861515667

 

With Declan Lawn this morning to explain the military options available to Theresa May and why the situation in Syria is more complicated than the civil war in Libya.

There are no easy choices.  As predicted, the missile strikes last year have proven to be ineffective, but doing nothing would lead to cries of impotency.  What is needed is a graduated response that ensures humanitarian workers are protected, but does not result in a direct conflict between the USA and Russia.

Does the Prime Minister have the diplomatic skills to finesse this hand?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09ycffg

It is nearly five years since the West turned its back on Western Syria.  Whatever happened to the Responsibility to Protect enshrined in International Law at the 2005 World Summit?  The United Nations should protect the brave humanitarians who are still putting their lives on the line.