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Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 14 hours ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,162 posts, read 13,449,232 times
Reputation: 19454
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Seems a little over the top given the rest of the EU has a similar policy in relation to Huawei and is even trying to build closer links with the Chinese, however if the US wants to close bases in the UK then so be it, however you rarely get such bases and capabilities back and the EU doesn't like US spy bases. EU ambassador to China says rising Sino-US tensions not helpful - The Telegraph
Furthermore does this also include UK overseas bases the US uses in Cyprus, Diego Garcia, Ascension Island etc etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NY Post
The US is reviewing whether all intelligence and military assets — including spy planes — should be pulled out of the United Kingdom after Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowed Chinese tech giant Huawei to help build part of the country’s 5G network, according to a report.
The Pentagon, the State Department and 17 intelligence agencies are carrying out the review under the guidance of the National Security Council to determine if personnel, classified intelligence and military equipment could be exposed to vulnerabilities, the Telegraph reported on Tuesday, citing security sources.
Among the assets under review are American RC-135 reconnaissance airplanes that have been used to gather information about the Islamic State terror group.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 14 hours ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,162 posts, read 13,449,232 times
Reputation: 19454
The US is already planning on shutting Mildenhall, however shutting Lakenheath and not moving the RC-135's to Fairford would make it difficult to justify the remaining US Secret bases and intelligence facilities in the UK, and the UK Parliament would have to launch it's own review in such circumstances.
It would also put an end to planned joinmt training and deployment in terms of the F-35.
The current US administration seems to base it's diplomacy on threats however threats can backfire, and as the old saying goes you catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar.
The UK is already looking at the possibility of abandoning the Huawei deal, and the possibility of better access to US markets and a trade deal would be a good incentive as opposed to threats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janes Defence
The UK parliament has questioned a United States threat to cancel long-planned deployments of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to the country following the government's decision to open-up the national 5G network to Chinese development.
The Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, sent a letter to the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, on 6 May in which he asked for clarification on recent reports that Republican senators in the US were moving to ban new deployments of military aircraft to countries with at-risk vendors in their 5G and 6G networks.
"If passed, this would preclude the long-planned US Air Force [USAF] deployment of F-35s at Royal Air Force [RAF] Lakenheath, and could also bring into question the plans for HMS Queen Elizabeth to carry US Marine Corps [USMC] F-35s," the letter said, adding, "I am sure you agree with me that even the airing of such disagreements between us and our closest security ally is unhelpful in a time when global stability is at the lowest it has been for a generation. I should therefore be grateful if you could clarify what the [UK] government is doing to ensure that this initiative is not pursued further."
As noted in Ellwood's letter that was written in response to a report first published in The Daily Telegraph that senators in the US were moving to restrict the exposure of sensitive US military information in countries that were allowing the Chinese company Huawei to build national 5G networks, the US military is planning at least two high-level F-35 deployments to the UK.
In November 2021 the USAF is due to begin the permanent deployment of two squadrons of F-35As to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
As for the UK it already looks like the Huawei decision will be reversed, so I don't think there was any need for any threats and F-35's have nothing to do with the 5G Network.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 14 hours ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,162 posts, read 13,449,232 times
Reputation: 19454
This comes on top of already difficult relations with many people not happy with the US response in relation to the Harry Dunn case.
The UK Foreign Office has waived diplomatic immunity for 13 British citizens accused of crimes in the US since 1999 - whilst Washington is still refusing to extradite Anna Sacoolas for hitting and killing Harry Dunn, even though the immunity was highly questionable.
Whilst the current US/UK extradition treaty has been acknowleged as unfair by both the main political parties in the UK parliament.
Since 2007, the UK has surrendered 135 UK nationals to the US, 99 of them for non-violent alleged offences. During the same period, the US has surrendered only 11 people to the UK.
The so called Special Relationship was already a one way street before Trump took power and has now become ever more questionable in terms of the UK side.
Last edited by Brave New World; 05-08-2020 at 06:14 AM..
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 14 hours ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,162 posts, read 13,449,232 times
Reputation: 19454
It also seems fairly ironic that the US is considering thisa action against the UK, a country that meets the NATO 2% and has been a staunch ally.
Of the less than one thousand military personnel lost by European nations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 635 were British.
Whilst the UK has allowed the US to use it's bases to bomb Libya, the Balkans and Iraq/Afghanistan. In the 1986 attack on Libya the rest of Europe wouldn't even let the US uae their air space so the USAF had to fly around to the Straits of Gibralter in order to enter the Mediterranean and attack Libya, and the same route applied in terms of returning to their bases.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 14 hours ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,162 posts, read 13,449,232 times
Reputation: 19454
Hopefully Congress can stop this nonsense and the UK can be allowed time to review it's response to China which will include looking again at Huawei 5G.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The National Interest
The "Special Relationship" that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom has been tested over the years, but this month it was strained even further as Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has led efforts to stop the deployment of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters to the UK. The news, which was first reported by The Telegraph newspaper, noted that this is due to Chinese telecom giant Huawei's involvement in the building of the UK's 5G mobile network.
The "Special Relationship" that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom has been tested over the years, but this month it was strained even further as Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has led efforts to stop the deployment of 48 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters to the UK. The news, which was first reported byThe Telegraph newspaper , noted that this is due to Chinese telecom giant Huawei's involvement in the building of the UK's 5G mobile network.
An amendment to an annual piece of legislation determining how defense money is to be spent proposed a ban on F-35 deployments to countries – including close allies – where "at-risk" firms such as Huawei have access. The summary of the top amendment seen by the UK newspaper of record stated, "To prohibit the stationing of new aircraft at bases in host countries with at-risk vendors in their 5G or 6G networks."
The UK parliament has reportedly questioned the U.S. threat to cancel the deployment, and Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, sent a letter to the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, earlier this week to ask for clarification on the calls from the U.S. Senator.
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