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Defence Cuts Pose Threat To Peace

Shadow Defence Minister Iain Duncan Smith MP expressed concerns about defence cuts in a speech at a European-Atlantic Group meeting last month. He also revealed his fears for the future unity of NATO after the advent of a European Rapid Reaction force at the Nice European Council meeting in December 2000. This unity and an increased defence budget, he believes, are vital to protect us against the threat of the emerging nuclear, biological and chemical weapons' capabilities of such countries as Libya and Iran or even Iraq.

"Since the end of the Cold War there has been a marked reluctance to focus on what threats are likely to emerge that could affect us at home and abroad," he said. The fall of the Berlin Wall came as 'a shock,' even though it was much celebrated as the end of communism in Eastern Europe by both the East and the West. Iain Duncan Smith suggested this promoted the indifference of NATO and European Union member states towards defence spending.

The end of the Cold War period diminished the threat to peace in Europe. As a direct result defence spending across the European Union has been reduced by at least 20%. The European defence capability, he argued, has also been "dramatically cut by a third." Iain Duncan Smith MP gave German defence cuts as an example.

The German government has cut its defence budget by £7.5bn. With 25 to 40 countries now capable of developing weapons of mass destruction at 'an alarming rate", he believes it is essential for NATO and the EU to adopt a united defence strategy that will counter any such threat posed by these weapons to regional or world peace.

Criticising the Government he argued: "The current defence budget does not provide for a single bullet." Ian Duncan Smith MP added that Europe should learn from the mistakes made by the French in their 'misplaced trust' in the Maginot Line during World War One and Two.

At the time the French believed that a land invasion posed the greatest threat, and believed that the Maginot Line was 'impenetrable." An old strategy was 'ineffective' because of new technology in the guise of German airpower. In that same manner today: "the world has moved on, but our defences have not," he claimed.

The Government's enthusiasm for the European Rapid Reaction Force, which Lord Chalfont insisted was a "Euro-Army with no bones about it," came under much fire by Mr. Duncan Smith. He did not, however, dismiss the need for a European defence initiative led by NATO.

With the threat posed by the development of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons the European Union therefore "has a common interest in defence to stop it" These weapons could be fitted as warheads to Inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Mr. Duncan Smith said this is "a cause for great concern."

With this threat there is, he argued, an "ideal opportunity for NATO" to adopt an appropriate defence strategy to secure peace. At the same time he believes that the European Union's current strategy is "a disastrous shift." He said that it could even pose a threat to peace, claiming that Annexe 7 of the Nice Treaty transfers defence policy away from member states and NATO into the hands of the EU. "This road is political and divisive," he said.

NATO he added should remain the "cornerstone of European defence, rather than there being conflicting defence structures." Citing French President Jacques Chirac who has admitted that the Rapid Reaction Force brings the EU into confrontation with America, he said that it has become an issue of "unite or divide."

Iain Duncan Smith concluded by pledging that a Conservative government would fight to retain and restore links with NATO. Otherwise he fears for the future of forthcoming generations, and therefore hopes that the European Rapid Reaction Force will just "slide away."

That appears as unlikely as the disinvention of the world's nuclear Inter-continental missiles, some of which Libya has apparently trained on Israel and southern Europe. Clearly though, Mr. Duncan Smith is right that Europe and NATO should not be complacent. Yet differences remain over defence strategy, and perhaps the threats to peace in the 21st Century.

Graham Jarvis MA
1st/2nd February 2001

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