Defense Secretary James Mattis
The UK needs to increase its defense spending, a high-ranking U.S. official has warned in a leaked letter sent to British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson.
“A global nation like the UK, with interests and commitments around the world, will require a level of defense spending beyond what we would expect from allies with only regional interests,” Defense Secretary James Mattis said in the letter sent to Williamson on June 12, three days after his visit to London.
“Absent a vibrant military arm, world peace and stability would be at further risk,” said Mattis.
Some British media organizations argued that the letter might have been leaked by Williamson, who would like to see the country’s defense budget rise.
The letter has also been described by local media as an intervention in British domestic policies.
Mattis expressed concern in the letter that the UK’s military power could be at risk of erosion. He also compared the UK unfavorably with France, which had committed to significant increases in defense spending.
“As global actors, France and the U.S. have concluded that now is the time to significantly increase our investment in defense. Other allies are following suit,” Mattis said.
“It is in the best interest of both our nations for the UK to remain the U.S. partner of choice,” he added.
“It is not for me to tell you how to prioritize your domestic spending priorities, but I hope the UK will soon be able to share with us a clear and fully funded forward defense blueprint that will allow me to plan our own future engagement with you from a position of strength and confidence,” he said.
The Trump administration has included Britain, Washington's most loyal battlefield ally in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among countries being sent letters rebuking them for spending too little on their militaries.Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis threatened to replace Britain with France as its main military ally unless London ramps up its defence spending, in a letter sent on June 12 and reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday.The strongly-worded letter from Mattis to Britain's Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson noted that Britain was one of the few NATO allies that already meets the alliance's target of spending 2 percent of economic output on the military.Most Israelis think Trump peace plan will fail: SurveyBut it said that was not good enough. Britain's global role "will require a level of defence spending beyond what we would expect from allies with only regional interests," Mattis wrote."I am concerned that your ability to continue to provide this critical military foundation ... is at risk of erosion," he wrote. He asked for a "clear and fully funded, forward defence blueprint" from Britain, and said he hoped for an update at a NATO summit next week.The letter shows U.S. President Donald Trump's determination to pressure NATO allies to significantly increase military expenditure, ahead of the summit in Brussels.Since Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Britain served as the main U.S. ally in both Iraq and Afghanistan, losing more than 600 service members killed. The Afghanistan war was commanded by a British general during one of its most violent phases while U.S. forces were tied up in Iraq."It is in the best interest of both our nations for the UK to remain the U.S. partner of choice," Mattis wrote, noting that France was increasing its spending. "As global actors, France and the U.S. have concluded that now is the time to significantly increase our investment in defence."Reuters has seen letters from the Trump administration to Belgium and Norway, written ahead of next week's NATO summit, demanding those countries increase defence spending in line with the Western alliance's 2 percent target. The New York Times has reported that Trump also wrote such letters to Germany and Canada.Britain has cut defence spending over the past decade in line with an austerity programme that has also seen cuts to domestic spending. London and Paris still field far and away the most powerful militaries in Europe.Some British lawmakers have called for spending to increase to 2.5 or 3 percent of national output from 2 percent. However, the British government is also under pressure to find more money for health, education and the police, at a time when plans to withdraw from the European Union have slowed growth.
US includes main ally Britain in letters demanding higher defence spending
A female healthcare worker has been arrested for the murder of eight babies in a U.K. hospital, British police said Tuesday.A statement from Cheshire Police in northwestern England said the detained woman was also suspected of attempting to kill another six babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital.The statement said an investigation continues into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 “non-fatal collapses” at the hospital’s neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.“Whilst this is a significant step forward in our enquiries, it is important to remember that the investigation is very much active and ongoing at this stage,” said Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, who is in charge of the investigation.Hughes said the force “have consulted with a number of medical specialists to ensure that we carry out as thorough an investigation as possible.”“As a result of our ongoing enquiries we have today (Tuesday 3 July) arrested a healthcare professional in connection with the investigation. She was arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of murder in relation to eight of the babies and attempted murder in relation to six of the babies and is currently in custody,” he added.A recent report found that staffing at the hospital’s neonatal unit, which reported a “higher than usual” number of baby deaths, was inadequate.Five babies died in the unit in 2013 and 2014.In 2016, five further deaths followed eight deaths in 2015.“This is an extremely difficult time for all the families and it is important to remember that, at the heart of this, there are a number of bereaved families seeking answers as to what happened to their children,” Hughes also said.“At this stage we are unable to go into any further details about the investigation but as soon as we are able to provide any further updates we will do.”
UK health worker held over murder of 8 babies
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Britain’s Defense Ministry said “the UK maintains the biggest defense budget in Europe and we have been clear we will continue to exceed NATO’s 2 percent spending target”.
“The defense secretary launched the modernizing defense program to strengthen our armed forces in the face of intensifying threats,” he added.
Trump in January 2017 sharply criticized NATO in an interview with the German daily Bild, calling the organization “obsolete”.
He argued that NATO had failed to address terrorism and today’s challenges.
"NATO had problems. Number one, it was obsolete, because it was, you know, designed many, many years ago. Number two -- the countries aren’t paying what they’re supposed to pay,” he said.
A target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense by 2024 has been agreed to by all NATO member states -- a goal which they are yet to reach.