EUROPE
22 May 06. Iraq: OP TELIC. On average, UK Armed Forces conduct a total of some 120 to 140 patrols by road vehicle per day across Multinational Division (South East). (Ministerial Answer (MA), 22 May 06.) Reservists have provided some 10% of the Service manpower supporting OP TELIC. (MA, 22 May 06.) In a speech at the RUSI, the Defence Secretary spoke of his recent trip to Iraq with the Chief of the Defence Staff. The speech was entitled ‘Iraq: Government and Security – the Evolving Challenge’. (MoD, 24 May 06.) A joint Operation by British soldiers and members of the Iraqi Police Service resulted in a significant seizure of arms and bomb making equipment in Basrah during the night of 24 May 06. (MoD, 25 May 06.) The US President and the Prime Minister spoke together (25 May 06), at the White House, in support of the Iraqi Government. The President acknowledged that the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power had been “controversial”. (Washington File.) Comment: The US media is starting to fight back against British criticism. The ‘International Herald Tribune’ (23 May 06) ran a piece about Police corruption in Basrah, where an Internal Affairs unit operates “as a ring of kidnappers and killers”. ‘Newsweek’ dated 29 May 06 has a two-page article on ‘Basra Breakdown’, subtitled ‘The Brits thought they knew counterinsurgency better. What went wrong?'(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0621, 29 May 06)
22 May 06. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. “We remain committed to the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) across all of Afghanistan.” (MA, 22 May 06.) The Shadow Defence Secretary countered remarks from the Defence Secretary with: “That answer will do nothing to dispel the fears that the mission in Afghanistan is less than clear.”. (Hansard, 22 May 06.)
23% of Afghanistan’s opium poppies are grown in Helmand Province. (MA, 23 May 06.) Seafast Logistics was awarded a contract to provide a weekly liner service from UK/Europe/Iraq to Karachi with onward road transportation to Afghanistan, in support of OP HERRICK. (Contracts Bulletin, 24 May 06.) Visiting NATO Parliamentarians concluded that corruption was “prevalent in the Police Force” and that “Military commanders consistently noted the lack of air transportation assets….” (NATO, 24 May 06.) A C-130 Hercules suffered a fire on landing in Lashkar Gar on 24 May 06. 26 passengers and nine crew disembarked safely, with two passengers receiving treatment for minor injuries. (MoD, 24 May 06.) Army communications are provided by the Clansman, Bowman and TacSat systems. (MA, 24 May 06.) The full complement of Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) is: eight Apache, six Chinook and four Lynx. The Chinook are operating as 1320 Flight, which has been re-formed. (RAF News, 26 May 06.)
Comment: There is good news and bad news coming back from Kandahar Air Base. Being run by the US, visitors can eat as much as they like but alcohol is forbidden. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0621, 29 May 06)
22 May 06. Defence Equipment: New European Market. The European Defence Agency (EDA) announced that a new European Defence equipment market was to be launched on 1 Jul 06. All but three (Denmark, Hungary and Spain) of the 25 EU Member States have agreed to a Code of Conduct covering Defence equipment purchases, which are exempt from the normal cross-border competition rules of the EU’s single market. Comment: It is envisaged that potential contracts will be posted on an electronic bulletin board operated by the EDA. Denmark has a general opt-out on European Security and Defence Policy and is not part of the EDA. Hungary and Spain have indicated that they may join the new regime in due course. [Copies of the DR&A Brief ‘European Defence 2006’, published on 16 Mar 06, remain available at a reduced rate to DNA subscribers.] (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0621, 29 May 06)
May 05. Ariane 5 enters the record books with an outstanding heavy