StatCounter

Friday 22 January 2010

Labour cuts the UK's anti-terrorism defences

The Times explains: "how a government decision over Foreign Office funding led to the slashing of millions of pounds from programmes to counter the growth of terrorism overseas." Do read the whole article but to get a flavour of the incompetence and stupidity of this Labour government, here's an extract:
"A political storm erupted after Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead’s admission before the House of Lords on Wednesday that the Foreign Office had been forced to cut back counter-terrorism programmes in Pakistan because of a budget shortfall created by the decline in the value of sterling.

The shortfall is the direct consequence of a 2007 Treasury decision to abandon the overseas price mechanism set up to ensure that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) budget was shielded from the vagaries of currency fluctuation.

Lady Kinnock caused outrage with her announcement that the Pakistan counter-terrorism programme would be cut to make up a £110 million shortfall, only hours after the Prime Minister told the Commons of the “No 1 security threat” emanating from the “crucible of terrorism” on the Afghan-Pakistan border.

...

Counter-terrorism projects outside Pakistan have also fallen prey to the cuts. One counter-terrorism contractor whose programme was axed told The Times that the budget cuts would leave Britain open to potential attacks from abroad.

“The project that was cancelled would in time have restricted the ability of terrorists in that region to move freely and threaten Western interests,” the contractor said. "
When will people realise that this Labour government is not fit for purpose and must be removed from office, soon. As David Cameron's Conservatives seem to be scared of taking power as they dither and dally, do we need to look elsewhere for firm leadership?

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