ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE Lockerbie bomber’s release, the government has ‘warned’ the Libyan’s not to celebrate Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi’s release. In the words of the Foreign Office such celebrations would be “tasteless, offensive and deeply insensitive”.
I hope that the Libyan regime puts us in our place and swamp the streets of Tripoli with state organised celebrants. I also hope that al-Megrahi puts in an appearance to rub salt into our government’s wounds. If such festivities do take place then we will have truly reaped what we had sown.
The decision taken was the wrong decision, and all those involved in making it also know that, deep down, it has made a laughing stock of the Scottish Executive, and in particular Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish justice minister. It was he who after all rubber stamped the decision and now protests that he did everything according to Scottish law; which is no doubt correct, but, having gone through a process of pass the parcel it had to land sooner or later in Mr MacAskill’s lap to make it his decision; and he made the wrong one.
But for the UK government to caution the Libyans against celebrating the anniversary of al-Megrahi’s release leaves me somewhat embarrassed. The Libyans’ know we are a spent force on the world stage, and to see our government and diplomatic service behaving in the way they are over this issue, by issuing a warning, as if we had something to back it up with, is absurd.
Richard Northern is our man in Tripoli and he has apparently sought assurances that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the colonel, will not attend the celebrations – but why not? After all, judging by the way this whole episode has been handled, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Kenny MacAskill might even attend.
BUT THERE IS A MUCH BROADER ISSUE, untouched upon by the press in their reporting of our government’s warning to the Libyans.
The UK is about to scale-down its defences to help alleviate our debt crisis. Now, any nation who seeks a place on the world stage and to be respected by the rest of the world, as well as to be taken seriously, had better have a military backbone strong enough to concentrate the minds of those you wish to influence.
Our politicians have continued to believe since, before, during and after the Falkland’s campaign that we are capable of punching above our weight. And this has been true. Militarily this country has had the best trained armed forces on the planet, and it continues to be the case today. Our fighting men and women retain the respect of all other armies.
In historical terms, a countrys’ armed forces are indeed the backbone of a nation’s diplomacy. The age of gun-boat diplomacy may have ended, but if government’s today wish to spout off in the manner that this coalition has done over the anniversary of al-Megrahi’s release, then they had better give their words substance by protecting this country’s armed forces instead of seeking to reduce them.
I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT our politicians want their cake and eat it. If we truly believe that this country deserves to be listened to by the rest of the world, then ultimately, the rest of the world will look to our armed forces as the ultimate test of our worthiness to be listened to.
We may be a small nation, but if we are to continue trying to persuade the rest of the world as an independent nation living within it; then our military capability must be respected. But if, as is planned, oversees development aid takes precedence over our country’s defence then what are the British people to make of it?
Our political class, including of course the present coalition government, are about to once more lay waste to our armed services, as many a government in the past have done. But for a majority conservative coalition to allow such a thing to happen will have consequences long after David Cameron has retired to the lecture circuit at a £100,000 a time.
It appears that the age of traditional conservatism is now over. Cameron represents the means by which this country’s full political and economic integration into Europe will be sold. If you believe, as I believe David Cameron does, in a United States of Europe; then paring down the one public sector that has kept this island an independent nation afloat for 2,000 years, is the logical step forward. What Cameron foresees is a European army, and a European Foreign Office to dictate military course of action. A procedure that we will have to, being no longer an independent nation, comply with.
This nation is on its last legs. It is in no position to warn any other nation with regard to their actions. We crossed the Rubicon when we signed up to the Lisbon Treaty. All we can do now is lay back and think of Europe.
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