Military - in brief (7)
01 May 1999
UK: Soldiers dismissed from army: Two soldiers linked to the fascist Combat 18 have been discharged from the army, following a series of police raids last March. The two men, Darren Theron (Parachute regiment) and Carl Wilson (King's regiment) were among 12 soldiers identified by Searchlight magazine, one of whom is reputed to be the loyalist UDA leader in London. The magazine believes that the army was forced to act after media publicity and after one of the men, Wilson, was sentenced to community service at Liverpool Crown Court after being found guilty of actual bodily harm. There is no indication as to whether the army will act against the other soldiers named by the magazine (see Statewatch vol 9 no 2). Searchlight 289 (July) 1999.
NATO: Exercise to test European naval force: European NATO countries are planning a large scale naval operation without significant US involvement during Exercise Northern Light in September. The exercise will include a brigade strength multinational amphibious operation. A naval force comprising a UK-led carrier battle group, a Dutch led amphibious strike group and a German led escort group will conduct operations in the eastern Atlantic. Initially, it was planned that Northern Light was to be an operational test for a European Multinational Maritime Force (EMMF), designed to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and to enable European-only operations, possibly under the WEU-flag. However the EMMF concept is not appro?ved by NATO because some European countries have reservations. Now the exercise will include an operation off the French Atlantic coast in which a European amphibious strike group (UK/Dutch reinforced with some German and French units) would perform a landing in southern Brittany. International Defense Review no 5, 1999
UK: Campaign for accurate war reporting: A Campaign for Media Accuracy and Free Speech on War has been launched by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom. The campaign is a response to NATO "spin" and the almost uniform support of the bombing of Kosovo in Britain's national press. Substantial public opposition to the war was rarely reported and anti?regime voices in Belgrade were largely ignored. The campaign can be contacted at the NUJ's head office in London on 0171?843 3704; email:campaign@nuj.org.uk.