David Cameron has given a clear public warning to defence chiefs that they should stop complaining about the Coalition's commitment to Libya.
David Cameron has given a clear public warning to defence chiefs that they should stop complaining about the Coalition's commitment to Libya Photo: PA
By Andy Bloxham
12:45PM BST 21 Jun 2011
345 Comments
Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant has told MPs that intense air operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East are placing a “huge” demand on equipment and personnel.
In a briefing paper obtained by The Daily Telegraph, the RAF’s second in command said morale among airmen was “fragile” due to overwork.
Last week, Adml Sir Mark Stanhope, the head of the Royal Navy, warned that current operations were “unsustainable”.
Mr Cameron's gave a sign of his frustration at a Downing Street press conference on Tuesday when questioned on the Coalition's military deployment in Libya in the context of cuts to the Ministry of Defence's budget.
He said: "There are moments when I wake up and think "you do the fighting, I'll do the talking"."
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Mr Cameron added: "Time is on our side, not Gaddafi's. We are allied to some of the richest and most militarily capable countries in the world. We have the Libyan people on our side and we'll keep going.
"The pressure [on Col Gaddafi] is turning up all the time: you can see that in the desertions from his regime, the pressure on the west of the country, the pockets of resistance that people had assumed would be snuffed out are growing in strength.
"Britain's military are performing magnificently," he said, adding that he had recently visited the Gioia del Colle airbase in Italy, where the RAF units in use in Libya are temporarily based, and said "morale and enthusiasm are very high because they know right is on their side."
The swingeing and controversial cuts imposed on the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force by the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review have come into sharper focus with the demands on manpower and equipment imposed by fighting two wars simultaneously.
The cuts made by the Government have led high-profile defence figures to make dire warnings of the consequences for Britain's safety and urged Mr Cameron to rethink the SDSR's conclusions.
Some defence experts believe that if the debate can maintain its prominence, the issue might yet move their way and the Prime Minister might be persuaded to renegotiate, something he has previously denied.
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Showing 25 of 348 comments
suffolkphil
2 minutes ago
It was a briefing paper not a press release. It was leaked, probably by politicians or civil servants. Cameron is really starting to piss me off.
pfbulmer
15 minutes ago
Normally I would agree with David Cameron that we should keep a united front
but not when our national security is not at stake and , this not even our war we are acting with members of the UN and this is a UN operation it is not even a UK operation.
When the UK government and the UN has bent and twisted the UN resolution 360 degrees and people lives are not been saved but being lost 500 before the UN resultion and now 15,ooo and going up plus a whole humaniterian disaster in continuing to unfold .
Plus a growing number of uncontested civilian casualities that have come home to roost at the door of the UN !
When will David Cameron wake up , he is like man seeing mirages in the desert , this will not be be solved by killing Col Gadaffi it will only be solved by dialogue ?
The military are quite right to point out to the David Cameron this is not how the military should be used !
It is the duty of the arm forces and generals to speak out and blow the whistle on the whole project .
David Cameron is burying his head in the sand he goes on on like drone about regime change he has no mandate for regime change , the UN resolution is about saving lives and dialogue and cease fire .
Under these circumstances the Arm forces must make their voices clear not to do so would be treason against common sense !
David Cameron can continue to bury his head in the sand but time is running out for his mad concept and common sense will win in the end !
vespacat
43 minutes ago Recommended by 9 people
David Cameron is not fit to lick the soles of the boots of the lowest ranking solder, sailor or airman. He is a pitiful excuse for a Prime Minister who is not fit for office.
Poliphobic
53 minutes ago Recommended by 4 people
He said: "There are moments when I wake up and think "you do the fighting, I'll do the talking".-----------------
Sums himself up nicely - Classic Il Duce.
What a prat he truly is.
tonymed
Today 08:34 PMRecommended by 4 people
Two of our finest institutions, The British Military and the
NHS; both besieged and battered by a government. Increasingly Mr Cameron does not appear have
the judgement or experience to lead the country during this difficult time. It is sheer
audacity of him to criticise our military leaders during a time of active service. These men unlike him, have earned their place and are having to speak out publicly in order to defend the armed forces from disastrous short term political decisions that will leave the country weakened.
epicadventure
Today 08:25 PMRecommended by 1 person
If the war is not in our national interest, maybe it's in another nations national interest? Treason?
emmiem
Today 08:22 PMRecommended by 5 people
It wasn't that many years ago when kings (and even queens) used to lead their army into battle from the front, on horseback. My how things have changed. Now we have 18 yr olds leading from the front and some clapped out old dingbat in Downing St. pushing them from the rear while he cowers in the safety of his heavily protected gated residence.
That's progress for you I suppose when human life has become so cheap it can without consideration be tossed away for any old frivolous adventure that suddenly takes the fancy over toast and orange juice at breakfast.
At least Conmoron won't be sending military to bomb the people of Syria we can be sure. Russia and China have spoken and, you can bet your subsistence pension, Conmoron, brave man that he is won't be speaking to them like he speaks to his own Air Marshal's.
aeronut
Today 08:21 PMRecommended by 2 people
Maybe Mr Cameron woke up after dreaming about the 374 service people killed in Afghanistan so far.
Tony Quintus
Today 08:15 PMRecommended by 1 person
Defence chiefs tell Cameron
"We'll do the fighting when you give us the money we need"
cdvision
Today 08:11 PMRecommended by 3 people
Dave: time for another U turn
drawback
Today 08:09 PMRecommended by 5 people
Camamoron, if you want to go down in history as a great war leader, study your history!!!.
There has been only two successful war leaders in the last century - Winston Churchill and Maggie Thatcher.
(The first world war ended in an effective stalemate - there was no winner)
Now for the nitty gritty history lesson. Winston had not only been a war correspondent before assuming leadership, but had actually fought in a war (and been taken prisoner before escaping). In fact he took part in what is believed to be the last horse calvary change made by the British Army. He knew what he was talking about; had the experience to put it to good use, and above all had the confidence of the armed forces - officers and men alike.
Maggie had no war experience to fall back on, so instead of posturing and interfering, had the sense to ask the Armed Services what they needed, saw that they got what they needed and backed them totally throughout and after the Falklands conflict. She set the objectives, and then left the military to get on with achieving them.
Since you and your Defence Minister have never even been on a parade ground, let alone wielded a rifle - Yes Mr Fox, I am well aware that you were 'in' the Army (as a civilian doctor who never got near active service) - I suggest you follow Maggie's course of action - consult with the Armed Services, find out what they need to do the task, then give them what they want to succeed - AND THEN BUTT OUT!!!
epicadventure
Today 08:02 PMRecommended by 5 people
Cameron works for Rothschild interests, and Rothschild interests are Israel 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Treason!
freepeoples
54 minutes ago
epicadventure believes the Telegraph anti semitism.
To wit the operants in the paper posted an internet smear pretty much verbatim with no journalistic enquiry on 17th June 2011 'Jewish court sentences dog to death by stoning'.
He is on planet ' gullible' and probably believes everything from MSM.
telegraphreader72
Today 08:04 PMRecommended by 2 people
What planet are you on?
Take off the tinfoil hat and rejoin humanity.
What planet are you on?
Take off the tinfoil hat and rejoin humanity. Report Recommend
epicadventure
Today 08:08 PMRecommended by 1 person
Maybe you can explain to the readers why we are paying interest on a so called "national debt", when the government can issue debt free currency?
Why don't you support the idea of a sovereign nation? Why are you supporting communism, imposed on Britain by The Rothschild Bank Of England?
hotrobuk
Today 08:02 PMRecommended by 5 people
Nobody would mind if Cameron talked sense about our Armed Forces but all he does is talk nonsense. Cameron should be talking about how he is going to stop giving taxpayer's money away in overseas aid and spending it on our Armed Forces instead. Funny how Cameron U turns on every issue his loyal supporters don't want him to but holds out on all the issues that he knows hacks his supporters off, talk about take your supporters for granted. Cameron has some good points but we really need a true Tory to be the next PM and Cameron is not it.
telegraphreader72
Today 08:06 PMRecommended by 1 person
And if overseas aid prevents extremely expensive wars and save us a lot of money in the long run, that would be a bad thing?
Maybe you just like going to war?
freepeoples
47 minutes ago
Splashing the cash is no substitute for robust defence especially when the bullies start looking for more.
We will give you more of our national treasure if you stop slaughtering your people is rather pathetic.
It is rather like a mother trying to control her aggressive sons, whereas the father would give them a good belt which they would deserve.
Derek_M
Today 08:02 PM
However it's also true that the military should not try and make policy and undermine the government whether it be Labour Conservative or whatever. They've been doing that for some time now, first it was the army under labour in Iraq and Afghanistan and now it's the RN and RAF. If they don't like it they should resign and stand for election. Personally I disagree with Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and indeed Kosovo interventions but senior military officers should not be meddling in politics. Given their general lack of competence in recent campaigns they should get on with the jobs they are paid for. A lot of this is about special pleading by public servants and senior officers trying to save their budgets and jobs
facta_non_verba
Today 08:13 PMRecommended by 4 people
Pay attention!
Sir Simon was saying he is unable to do the job beyond a certain point without sacrifices elsewhere. This is exactly what the First Sea Lord said last week. Neither of them is refusing to do anything, or telling the politicians what to do.
They are simply pointing out that our resources don't match our commitments.
This isn't rocket science. You can't cut budgets then take on another war without something having to give.
oldmaid
Today 07:58 PMRecommended by 5 people
Cameron the self-confessed 'heir to blair'.
Who wants to beat Blair in the speed the UK will be destroyed for the EU to dismember its ruins.
Who wants to spend more money on his 'pet foreign projects' than Brown and it would appear...
He also wants to beat Blair and Brown on the number of war fronts, but not content with that, his deliberate destruction of the armed forces will mean he doesn't only just want to get more blood on his hands, but he wants more of it to be that of British troopers
freepeoples
43 minutes ago
That is certainly not an 'old' maids view.
Legal_Beagle
Today 07:55 PMRecommended by 3 people
Careful Dave, otherwise the Military Chiefs will paint 'Gaddafi' on your forehead and drop you on Tripoli.
URSULARICHES
36 minutes ago
No I suggest yu drop him on benghazi if you paint Gaddafi on his head but if you put Cameron on his head, stick him in tripoli, the kids will probably kick the helll out of him for ruining thier universites, schools and killing their mates, families and mates families and giving them no sleep for 3 months and headaches from the planes in the day. The adults would show him around the destruction, the hospital and the cemetery stick him in jail and lecture him hoping for him to learn the error of his ways. HONEST.
If he promised to be good, and call the flies off, they would make him pay damages. If DC were to go to Tripoli, best for him to wear a hijab and wave a green flag for his own safety.
facta_non_verba
Today 08:15 PMRecommended by 2 people
Hit Gaddafi with Dave. Like it!
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Trên đây là một số ý kiến phê bình của độc giả về việc David Cameron "tells defence chiefs to stop criticising Libya mission" .
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