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Military cuts mean 'no US partnership', Robert Gates warns Britain
bbc.co.uk ^ | 16 January 2014 | bbc

Posted on 01/19/2014 2:30:18 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper

UK armed forces cuts will limit the country's ability to be a major player on the world stage, ex-US defence secretary Robert Gates has warned.

The UK plans to cut 30,000 armed forces personnel by 2020, leaving 147,000.

...On the UK's military cuts, Mr Gates told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "With the fairly substantial reductions in defence spending in Great Britain, what we're finding is that it won't have full spectrum capabilities and the ability to be a full partner as they have been in the past."

The spectrum refers to the ability of a country's military to fight across air, sea and land.

Mr Gates singled out cuts to the Royal Navy as particularly damaging and he noted that - for the first time since World War One - Britain did not have an operational aircraft carrier.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: aircraft; aircraftcarrier; armedforces; army; britain; budget; defence; empire; greatbritain; military; navy; partner; royalnavy; unitedkingdom; war

1 posted on 01/19/2014 2:30:18 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper
I'm sure, the Arabians, Russian and the ChiComs will help out.. /s

2 posted on 01/19/2014 3:05:01 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi :-)
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To: Berlin_Freeper; skinkinthegrass

Britain is making a huge mistake.

Anyone think that we should start forming alliances with countries that aren’t deliberately shrinking their military?


3 posted on 01/19/2014 3:25:59 AM PST by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: CorporateStepsister; Berlin_Freeper
true, it's about like us, after WW1 & WW2..
the Communist Dems decided on both
actions..UK still kept their empire after both.

4 posted on 01/19/2014 3:43:01 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi :-)
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To: skinkinthegrass

The UK is unfortunately in the same viewpoint as we are now; this is why I’m against an alliance with the UK right now, at least the ‘special friendship’ we have. Our ‘friend’ has been a bad influence culturally and morally and it would be best to find more viable ‘friendships’ that encourage us to behave better and are more compatible. Britain hasn’t been compatible for a long time and I don’t see anything good coming from any area of Britain right now.


5 posted on 01/19/2014 3:46:23 AM PST by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Britan is about two clicks away from being ruled by Muslim immigrants. All they need is a small coup. And, there are only about 3,000,000 Muslims in Britan. And, not very many guns among the honest Brits. Plenty in the hands of the towelheads, I’m sure. More than enough.


6 posted on 01/19/2014 3:49:09 AM PST by anton
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To: anton

I’m shocked at how many are reportedly pouring in on a regular basis and still the government does nothing. Much like our own, we’re apparently taking signals from them.


7 posted on 01/19/2014 3:51:43 AM PST by CorporateStepsister (I am NOT going to force a man to make my dreams come true)
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To: CorporateStepsister
concise, to the point. :-|

8 posted on 01/19/2014 3:57:33 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi :-)
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To: CorporateStepsister

What makes you believe that your Obamanation is any better than ours? The US isn’t any less depraved than Britain, we’re a perfect match.


9 posted on 01/19/2014 4:10:52 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: Berlin_Freeper

The almost inevitable solution to this is the creation of an offshore corporate military, like Blackwater Security used to be. They cost just a fraction of a government army, and have little or no social engineering nonsense to put up with.

They could hire the best and brightest soldiers from around the world without offering them citizenship, and expenses could be shared by a dozen countries. Most of their rules would be like those of the French Foreign Legion.

For example, they would stay offshore and be forbidden for use in domestic disputes. Their senior NCOs and officers would be from the regular army.

But in this case, they would be contract employees, so if they were ordered to do something suicidal or stupid, they could refuse.

Right now, probably the best bet for Europe would be to set up such a corporation on one of the larger Greek islands, as part of the economic support for Greece. Construction of their facilities and day to day logistical support would also be Greek, pumping some money back into their economy.


10 posted on 01/19/2014 5:37:51 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (There Is Still A Very Hot War On Terror, Just Not On The MSM. Rantburg.com)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

I think you are probably right; there probably is an offshore military corps being developed and run by a group of internationalist organizations. The UN’s blue helmet soldiers have been around since 1945, but it’s not going to be them. However, you’re kidding yourself if you think that they won’t intervene in domestic affairs; restraint will be impossible for such a powerful force. I also think it’s certain that they won’t be a force for good.


11 posted on 01/19/2014 7:59:58 AM PST by grumpygresh (Democrats delenda est. New US economy: Fascism on top, Socialism on the bottom.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

The alternative is, the UK resumes conscription, taking the future jihadists off the streets and out of the illegal makeshift mosques, and like the Roman Empire, use foreign troops to fill its army. Thanks Berlin_Freeper.


12 posted on 01/19/2014 8:00:42 AM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: grumpygresh

The FFL is an excellent model. And yes, they eventually did try to overthrow the French government. Which is why they have safeguards built in now.

In an corporate army that I am imagining, it would have to be kept offshore, have regular Army NCOs and officers, and importantly, have its transportation, logistics and communications provided by a national army. Without that support, it would be weak indeed. Just light infantry with small arms, and some unarmored transport vehicles.


13 posted on 01/19/2014 9:52:40 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (There Is Still A Very Hot War On Terror, Just Not On The MSM. Rantburg.com)
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To: CorporateStepsister

Hey, I don’t think we are that bad......lol


14 posted on 01/26/2014 8:09:58 AM PST by the scotsman (i)
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To: anton

No, it isn’t. That is a US fantasy.

2.3m guns in the UK. And almost of them in the hands of white Britons. Illegal guns are the preserve of black and white criminal gangs, so almost all UK muslims are unarmed, legal or illegal.


15 posted on 01/26/2014 8:12:11 AM PST by the scotsman (i)
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