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16 novembre 2015 1 16 /11 /novembre /2015 09:50
photo UK MoD

photo UK MoD

 

16.11.2015 Romandie.com (ats)

 

Le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron a déclaré lundi vouloir que le Royaume-Uni mène des frappes aériennes contre l'Etat islamique (EI ou EIIL) en Syrie. Il a cependant ajouté qu'il restait à convaincre les députés de soutenir ce genre d'action.

Le Royaume-Uni participe à des bombardements contre l'EI en Irak, mais le Premier ministre n'a pu obtenir du Parlement l'extension de ces actions à la Syrie.

"J'ai toujours dit que je pense qu'il est sensé que nous devrions (le faire) - l'EIIL ne reconnaît pas de frontière entre l'Irak et la Syrie et nous ne devrions pas non plus -, mais il faut que j'élabore mes arguments, que j'aille au Parlement, que je convainque plus de gens", a déclaré David Cameron sur une station de radio de la BBC.

"Nous n'organiserons pas ce vote avant de constater que le Parlement est susceptible d'approuver cette action, parce qu'échouer sur cela serait préjudiciable (...) pour notre pays et sa réputation dans le monde."

David Cameron a toutefois précisé qu'il agirait directement si les intérêts britanniques étaient en jeu. Il a rappelé que l'armée de l'air britannique avait frappé en Syrie en septembre dernier pour tuer deux Britanniques qui combattaient pour l'EI et préparaient des attentats sur le sol britannique.

 

Mouvements réduits

Une série de raids probablement menés par des avions français ont détruit dimanche soir un camp d'entraînement et des dépôts d'armes à Raqa, fief du groupe Etat islamique (EI) en Syrie, a rapporté l'Observatoire syrien des droits de l'Homme (OSDH).

"Il y a eu au moins 36 explosions dans la nuit à Raqa, certaines causées par des frappes aériennes, d'autres par des explosifs", a indiqué lundi à l'AFP Rami Abdel Rahmane, directeur de l'OSDH, qui dispose d'un vaste réseau de sources en Syrie.

L'OSDH a par ailleurs annoncé lundi matin que l'EI aurait réduit ses mouvements à Rakka après ces frappes aériennes.

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16 novembre 2015 1 16 /11 /novembre /2015 09:50
7 attentats évités sur les six derniers mois au Royaume-Uni

 

16 novembre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

Londres - Le Premier ministre britannique, David Cameron, a jugé lundi que les attaques perpétrées vendredi à Paris auraient pu avoir lieu au Royaume-Uni, sept attentats ayant été évités au cours des six derniers mois dans le pays.

 

Nos services de sécurité et de renseignements ont empêché quelque chose comme sept attaques sur les six derniers mois, même si ces attaques étaient d'une moindre envergure, a déclaré le Premier ministre à la BBC Radio 4, ajoutant en parlant des attentats de Paris: Cela aurait pu avoir lieu ici.

 

Nous étions au courant qu'il y avait des cellules en Syrie qui radicalisent des gens dans nos propres pays et qui sont susceptibles de renvoyer des gens pour perpétrer des attaques, a également dit David Cameron qui s'exprimait d'Antalya, en Turquie, où il participe à un sommet du G20.

 

Nous pouvons renforcer nos services de sécurité et nous allons le faire, nous pouvons prendre des mesures pour que l'aviation soit plus sûre et mettre de l'argent dans ce domaine, ce que nous allons faire, a-t-il dit.

 

La presse britannique a annoncé lundi que le Royaume-Uni allait renforcer ses services de renseignement et de sécurité avec 1.900 personnes, ce qui devrait augmenter les effectifs des services de sécurité intérieure (MI5), extérieure (MI6) et de surveillance (GCHQ) de près de 15%, selon le Guardian et le Financial Times.

 

Les attentats de vendredi à Paris ont fait 129 morts et plus de 350 blessés.

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13 novembre 2015 5 13 /11 /novembre /2015 13:30
PM statement: United States air strike in Syria

 

13 November 2015 Prime Minister's Office

 

(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

 

David Cameron made a statement in Downing Street on the US air strike targeting British militant Mohammed Emwazi on 12 November 2015.

 

Good morning. Last night, the United States carried out an air strike in Raqqa, Syria, targeting Mohammed Emwazi – the ISIL executioner known as Jihadi John.

 

We cannot yet be certain if the strike was successful.

 

But let me be clear. I have always said that we would do whatever was necessary, whatever it took, to track down Emwazi and stop him taking the lives of others.

 

We have been working, with the United States, literally around the clock to track him down. This was a combined effort. And the contribution of both our countries was essential.

 

Emwazi is a barbaric murderer. He was shown in those sickening videos of the beheadings of British aid workers. He posed an ongoing and serious threat to innocent civilians not only in Syria, but around the world, and in the United Kingdom too.

 

He was ISIL’s lead executioner, and let us never forget that he killed many, many, Muslims too. And he was intent on murdering many more people.

 

So this was an act of self-defence. It was the right thing to do.

 

Today I want to thank the United States: the United Kingdom has no better friend or ally.

 

And I want to pay tribute to all those professionals in our own security and intelligence agencies and armed forces for the extraordinary work they do on behalf of our country. On this, as so often, they’ve been working hand in glove with their American colleagues. We are proud of them.

 

If this strike was successful, and we still await confirmation of that, it will be a strike at the heart of ISIL. And it will demonstrate to those who would do Britain, our people and our allies harm: we have a long reach, we have unwavering determination and we never forget about our citizens.

 

The threat ISIL pose continues. Britain and her allies will not rest until we have defeated this evil terrorist death cult, and the poisonous ideology on which it feeds.

 

Today though, my thoughts, and the thoughts of our country, are with the families of those who were so brutally murdered.

 

Japanese citizens Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley and aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig.

 

And of course our own citizens. Aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning. Nothing will bring back David and Alan. Their courage and selflessness stand in stark contrast to the empty callousness of their murderers.

 

Their families and their friends should be proud of them, as we are. They were the best of British and they will be remembered long after the murderers of ISIL are forgotten.

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3 novembre 2015 2 03 /11 /novembre /2015 17:50
Le gouvernement Cameron présente un projet de loi sur le renseignement

 

03.11.2015 45eNord.ca (AFP)

 

Le gouvernement britannique présente mercredi un projet de loi sur le renseignement destiné à actualiser les techniques d’interception des communications, déjà rebaptisé « Charte des fouineurs » par ses détracteurs.

 

Ce texte devrait à terme octroyer de nouveaux pouvoirs aux agences de renseignement britanniques pour obtenir les données personnelles d’internautes, et notamment celles provenant de plateformes populaires comme Facebook ou WhatsApp.

« Il s’agira d’un des plus importants textes de loi de cette législature, parce qu’il va résolument au coeur du devoir du gouvernement de protéger les Britanniques », a déclaré mardi le Premier ministre David Cameron.

Ce nouveau dispositif intervient dans un contexte d’inquiétude au Royaume-Uni face à la menace d’attaques de groupes comme l’organisation Etat islamique (EI), qui utilisent massivement internet et les réseaux sociaux, notamment pour tenter de recruter des jihadistes.

Baptisé « Loi sur les pouvoirs d’enquête », le texte permettrait au renseignement britannique d’intercepter les communications, de voir qui a échangé avec qui et quand, mais sans avoir toutefois accès dans un premier temps au contenu.

Les opérateurs internet devraient conserver les échanges ainsi que l’activité sur les réseaux sociaux pendant un an, et les autorités pourraient se voir contraintes d’obtenir un mandat d’un juge pour accéder à ces données dans le détail et lire les messages. Actuellement, ces mandats sont délivrés par le ministère de l’Intérieur.

Selon les médias britanniques, le gouvernement pourrait aussi interdire les techniques de chiffrement impénétrables.

Avant même la présentation du projet de loi, les organisations de défense des libertés individuelles ont exprimé leur préoccupation quant aux éventuels abus que pourraient entraîner ces nouvelles prérogatives.

Ainsi pour l’organisation Liberty, le débat parlementaire à venir et les garde-fous qui seront, ou non, instaurés seront « cruciaux pour le respect de la vie privée » des Britanniques.

Face aux critiques, l’exécutif s’est engagé à mettre en place une série de mesures pour « prévenir un usage abusif », avec, entre autres, la création d’une « nouvelle infraction » en cas d’excès de la part des autorités publiques.

« Les informations sur les communications constituent parfois la seule manière d’identifier des criminels », a souligné un responsable du gouvernement.

« Mais il est important que les gens comprennent que ces informations sont utilisées seulement d’une manière nécessaire, proportionnée et en rendant des comptes. C’est pourquoi le projet de loi comporte des garde-fous renforcés », a-t-il assuré.

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10 octobre 2015 6 10 /10 /octobre /2015 11:50
Britain to increase UAV fleet, modernize Special Forces gear


Oct 5, 2015 (UPI)

 

Britain is to replace and double its fleet of remotely piloted aircraft and modernize equipment of its Special Forces.

The investment, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, is part of the 2015 Strategic Defense and Security Review.

"In order to equip UK intelligence agencies and British Armed forces with the capabilities they need to keep the streets of Britain safe, the prime minister has announced that the RAF will replace the existing fleet of 10 Reaper aircraft with more than 20 of the latest generation of RPAS, which will be called Protector and will carry the very latest technology," the Ministry of Defensee said.

"With a greater range and endurance, the new Protector aircraft will dramatically increase the UK's ability to identify, track, deter and ultimately counter potential threats. Combined with the increase in the size of the fleet, this will substantially enhance the UK's global intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

For its Special Force, the Ministry of Defense said, new specialist weapons and clothing will be procured to ensure that the force "remains at the cutting edge of technology, giving them a clear advantage over enemies."

Additional details of the procurement of RPAs and Special Forces equipment was not elaborated upon.

The Reaper currently used by Britain is made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Cameron, who made the announcement in a newspaper interview, gave no information on the Protector RPA, including its manufacturer.

"The duty of the UK Government is to keep our country safe and we must do more as the threats we face evolve," said Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. "We must adapt and stay ahead of our enemies.

"This investment package will enhance our ability to address these sophisticated dangers both at home and abroad, allowing us to intervene with speed and precision to protect the people of the UK and our international partners."

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16 mars 2015 1 16 /03 /mars /2015 17:50
Victory in Europe (VE) Day celebrations

Winston Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war with Germany had been won, 8 May 1945 (VE Day). Photo  Imperial War Museum H 41849

 

15 March 2015 from Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, The Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, The Rt Hon William Hague MP, + others

 

A 3-day weekend of events will mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.

 

William Hague, Leader of the House of Commons, has today announced 3 days of commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day 70) this summer.

The plans include events across the UK to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Events will range from a parade, a service of thanksgiving and a star-studded concert in central London, to street parties around the UK.

Mr Hague, Leader of the House of Commons, said:

I am delighted to announce 3 days of celebrations, which will pay fitting tribute to those who did so much to defend this country and ensure victory in Europe.

It is right that we take time to reflect on the sacrifices made, not just by those in the Armed Forces, but by civilians such as Land Girls and those in Reserved Occupations and make sure that the whole country has the chance to take part in commemorating this momentous anniversary and remembering those who gave so much for our freedom.

The celebrations in London will be echoed by other events across the country to mark VE Day 70 with local authorities and communities encouraged to participate. They will celebrate with members of their communities who contributed to the war effort throughout the Second World War. The Royal British Legion, as the national custodian of Remembrance, will act as the government’s key partner in leading the nation in marking the commemoration, including hosting a major reception for 2,000 veterans in St James’s Park.

Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB CVO, National President of the Royal British Legion said:

We are honoured to play our part in helping the nation mark 70 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. The Legion has a responsibility to help the memories of those of who have fought and died in our nation’s Armed Forces live on for future generations. The commemoration of this conflict, still in living memory, gives us the opportunity to salute the Second World War generation.

We hope that all communities will use the VE Day 70 commemorations to thank them and celebrate the role they played in our nation’s history.

Eric Goldrein, 94, from Hale Village, Liverpool, served with the Royal Artillery during the Second World War and was in Italy when the news came through that the war in Europe was over.

We celebrated in a field, the Signallers set up speakers playing music and the locals came out and joined in too, happy that the war was finally over. I heard about the street parties back home and I’m looking forward to being part of these 70th Anniversary celebrations.

Friday 8 May

VE Day itself (Friday 8 May) will be a day of remembrance. A service of remembrance will be held at The Cenotaph, including a national 2 minute silence at 3pm, marking the moment Winston Churchill broadcast his historic speech formally announcing the end of the war.

The Department for Education will be encouraging schools across the country to observe the 2 minute silence and to celebrate and commemorate in their own way – for example, by reading out Churchill’s historic speech, holding special VE Day-themed assemblies or organising tea parties.

In the evening a chain of over 100 beacons will be lit across the UK. Local communities that have already made plans for the day include Great Yarmouth, Island of Unst, Craig-Y-Dorth, Monmouthshire; Stokesby, Norfolk; and Lowestoft, Suffolk.

 

Saturday 9 May

Saturday 9 May will be a day of celebration. At around 11am, cathedrals across the country, from Durham to Canterbury, will be invited to ring their bells in celebration.

Festivities will peak with a star-studded 1940s themed concert held on Horse Guards Parade on Saturday night, featuring a line-up of international recording artists, stars and celebrities. The show will be one of the highlights of the year and will be broadcast that evening on BBC One.

 

Sunday 10 May

A service of thanksgiving will be held at Westminster Abbey, attended by veterans and their families, members of the Royal Family, representatives of allied nations and Commonwealth countries who fought alongside Britain in the conflict, along with other diplomatic representatives and senior members of government and the armed forces.

Following the service, there will be a parade of current personnel and veterans, supported by bands, from the Abbey along Whitehall, past the balcony of HM Treasury where Winston Churchill made his historic appearance before crowds on VE Day. Veterans who have taken part in the service and parade will then be invited to a reception in St James’s Park hosted by The Royal British Legion.

During the afternoon there will be a flypast of current and historic aircraft from the Royal Air Force – including the Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which played such a famous role in the European War. The Spitfire, with its unmistakable design, won the admiration of many for its daring role in the Battle of Britain, engaging in dogfights in the sky against enemy aircraft in the defence of the nation. The Avro Lancaster is perhaps the most famous of the aircraft used by Bomber Command during the Second World War, used in many raids on enemy territory, including the famous Dambuster Raids on the Ruhr Valley.

Central London will also be transported back to the 1940s by a display of period vehicles from the 1940s in St James’s Park.

Further details on the commemorations, including event listings, are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/ve-day-70th-anniversary. Information on how veterans will be able to join in the London celebrations, including how to get involved in the lighting of the VE Day Beacons on 8 May and participating in the parade on 10 May, will be announced shortly.

In the coming weeks, the government will also announce plans to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, which will include a day of major events on 15 August 2015.

 

Notes to editors

  1. The line-up for the Horse Guards concert and details of how to get tickets will be announced in the coming weeks.
  2. The Royal British Legion was recently awarded £6 million of LIBOR funding by HM Treasury to support the work of commemorations over the next 5 years: they will use part of these funds for VE Day 70.
  3. VE Day images are available to license directly from the IWM Archive. To license images for press use, please browse the collection, take note of the reference number on the image and contact the IWM image sales team directly: Telephone: 020 7416 5215/5309 Email: imagesales@iwm.org.uk.
  4. For the latest news, follow MoD on Twitter at @DefenceHQ or search #VEDay70
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16 mars 2015 1 16 /03 /mars /2015 17:50
UK agrees closer working on NATO military exercises

 

13 March 2015 Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, The Rt Hon David Cameron MP and The Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP

 

The Prime Minister has announced greater collaboration with NATO on its military training exercises to tackle new threats faced by the Alliance.

 

The agreement comes as the Prime Minister met with the new NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, at Downing Street ahead of the Afghanistan Service of Commemoration.

From next month, the UK’s flagship series of military exercises – Joint Warrior – will officially become part of NATO’s exercise programme and will see up to 12,000 personnel from more than a dozen NATO nations and close partners taking part.

This will be one of the largest air, land and sea training exercises run in Europe and will feature more than 58 warships and submarines, over 50 fixed wing aircraft and nearly 3,000 land forces from the participating nations.

Joint Warrior will prepare personnel for NATO’s next exercise – Trident Juncture – which will take place in the Iberian Peninsula between September and November this year and will be the largest live NATO exercise for over a decade.

The UK’s contribution to this exercise will include an Army Brigade Headquarters and Battlegroup, a Naval Task Force including helicopter carrier, assault ship, a frigate and Mine Counter Measure Vessel and RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft.

Prime Minister, David Cameron, said:

These exercises showcase the breadth of the UK’s military capability and demonstrate the strength of the NATO Alliance.

We will continue to play a leading role in NATO and, by working together with our Allies, we send a clear message to those who threaten us – that the UK and NATO have the military capabilities, resolve and ability to support our Eastern Allies and defend our own waters and airspace.

In preparation for NATO’s HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps – based in Gloucestershire – becoming the standby Joint Task Force Headquarters in 2015-16, NATO will run a training exercise involving around 850 UK troops.

Exercise Arrcade Fusion will take place in the Baltic States towards the end of the year and will contribute to the development of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce, which the UK will be the lead nation on once it is established in 2017.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

Exercise Joint Warrior provides realistic training platforms for our armed forces, testing the vast capabilities of the three services while working very closely alongside our Allies. Making it part of the NATO programme will act as a timely reminder to the world of just how proud and powerful the Alliance is.

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26 février 2015 4 26 /02 /février /2015 11:50
Londres va envoyer des soldats en Ukraine

 

24/02/2015 Par Le Figaro.fr (Reuters)

 

Londres va envoyer des soldats en Ukraine pour entraîner et conseiller l'armée ukrainienne, a annoncé le premier ministre britannique, David Cameron alors que le cessez-le-feu avec les séparatistes prorusses n'est toujours pas parfaitement respecté.

Interrogé par une commission parlementaire, le premier ministre britannique a ajouté que les pays occidentaux se doivent de tenir tête à Moscou en Ukraine sous peine de voir la Russie chercher par la suite à déstabiliser la Moldavie et les républiques baltes.

 

Suite de l’article

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19 janvier 2015 1 19 /01 /janvier /2015 12:20
photo White House

photo White House

 

Jan 16, 2015 ASDNews Source : AFPS

 

President Barack Obama announced his intent to expand cooperation with the United Kingdom in battling cyberthreats during a joint media availability today with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House.

 

The expanded collaboration will be aimed at protecting critical infrastructure, businesses and privacy from cyberattacks, Obama said. While there is heightened attention to terror threats in the wake of the attacks in Paris, the president said, threat streams have remained fairly constant over the past six years.

 

"So I don't think this is a situation in which because things are so much more dangerous, the pendulum needs to swing," he said. "I think what we have to find is a consistent framework whereby our publics have confidence that their government can both protect them, but not abuse our capacity to operate in cyberspace."

 

Closing Terrorist ‘Safe Havens’

 

The collaboration shouldn't be thought of as a new doctrine, Cameron said. "Ever since we've been sending letters to each other or making telephone calls to each other or mobile phone calls to each other or, indeed, contacting each other on the Internet, it has been possible in both our countries in extremis ... to potentially listen to a call between two terrorists, to stop them in their activity," he said.

 

"We're not asking for back doors ... As technology develops, as the world moves on, we should try to avoid the safe havens that could otherwise be created for terrorists to talk to each other," the prime minister added.

 

Wiretap laws in both countries need to be updated to reflect the technology of today, Obama said.

 

"How we do that needs to be debated both here in the United States and in the U.K. I think we're getting better at it, I think we're striking the balance better," the president said. "I think that companies here in the United States at least recognize that they have a responsibility to the public, but also want to make sure that they're meeting their responsibilities to their customers that are using their products."

 

Discussions between the private sector and the U.S. and U.K. governments center on ensuring that law enforcement and intelligence officers can identify and track actual threats without invading people's privacy, Obama said.

 

"The technologies are evolving in ways that potentially make this trickier," he said. "If we get into a situation in which the technologies do not allow us at all to track somebody that we're confident is a terrorist ... and, despite knowing that information, despite having a phone number or despite having a social media address or an e-mail address, that we can't penetrate that, that's a problem."

 

Solving that problem will involve addressing legal and technical issues, the president said, "But overall, I'm actually confident that we can balance these imperatives and we shouldn't feel as if because we've just seen such a horrific attack in Paris that suddenly everything should be thrown by the wayside."

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26 septembre 2014 5 26 /09 /septembre /2014 11:50
Intervention en Irak: une mission qui va prendre des années

 

 

26 septembre 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

Londres - Le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron a déclaré vendredi que l'intervention du Royaume-Uni en Irak, si elle est autorisée par le parlement britannique, prendrait des années.

 

Cela va être une mission qui ne va pas prendre des mois mais des années mais je pense que nous devons nous préparer pour cet engagement, a dit M. Cameron devant la Chambre des Communes qu'il a rappelé en session extraordinaire pour voter le ralliement à la coalition contre l'organisation de l'Etat islamique (EI).

 

Les caractéristiques de cette campagne seront la patience et la persévérance, a-t-il ajouté, martelant qu'il n'y aurait pas de troupes britanniques ou occidentales qui occuperaient l'Irak.

 

Je crois que nous devons faire plus en Syrie, a-t-il également appelé de ses voeux, alors que le parlement se prononce vendredi uniquement sur la possibilité de participer à des frappes aériennes en Irak.

 

Désavoué il y a 13 mois quand la chambre des Communes a mis son veto à des représailles militaires contre le régime syrien de Bachar al-Assad accusé d'avoir eu recours à des armes chimiques, David Cameron devrait cette fois-ci obtenir une majorité de voix lors d'un vote qui devrait intervenir en fin d'après-midi.

 

Les frappes des six tornados britanniques déployés dans la région pourraient intervenir dès vendredi soir.

 

Vendredi matin, les Etats-Unis et leurs alliés arabes ont lancé de nouvelles frappes aériennes contre les jihadistes de l'EI en Syrie, notamment contre des installations pétrolières sous contrôle du groupe, selon une ONG syrienne.

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15 septembre 2014 1 15 /09 /septembre /2014 11:30
Cameron déterminé à des nouvelles mesures non spécifiées contre l'EI

 

14 septembre 2014 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

Londres - Le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron a affirmé dimanche sa détermination à prendre toutes nouvelles mesures nécessaires contre les jihadistes de l'État islamique (EI) responsables du meurtre du travailleur humanitaire David Haines.

 

Le visage grave, le chef du gouvernement qui venait de présider une réunion interministérielle de crise n'a pas précisé dans son allocation relayée par les chaînes d'information en continu la nature des nouvelles mesures envisagées.

 

Il s'est notamment gardé de lever les incertitudes concernant l'association éventuelle de son pays aux frappes aériennes américaines en Irak et en Syrie.

 

Nous traquerons les responsables et les traînerons en justice, quel que soit le temps nécessaire. Les Etats-Unis mènent une action militaire directe. Nous les soutenons. Des (avions) Tornados britanniques et des appareils de reconnaissance ont apporté leur concours. Mais il n'est pas question de déployer des forces combattantes au sol, a ajouté M. Cameron.

 

Ce ne sont pas des musulmans mais des monstres, a dit M. Cameron. Pas à pas, nous devons repousser, démanteler et finalement détruire l'Etat Islamique et ce qu'il représente, a-t-il martelé.

 

Nous agirons de manière calme, résolue, mais avec une détermination inflexible. Nous n'agirons pas isolément, nous travaillerons en proximité avec nos alliés, pas seulement aux Etats-Unis et en Europe, mais aussi dans la région, a-t-il poursuivi.

 

Son gouvernement a envoyé des signaux discordants la semaine dernière. Le ministre des affaires étrangères Philip Hammond a ainsi fermé la porte à toutes frappes militaires conjointes avec les Américains, avant d'être démenti par le 10 Downing street, qui a au contraire annoncé ne rien exclure.

 

La réunion de crise (Cobra) convoquée en milieu de matinée s'est déroulée en présence de hauts responsables militaires et des services de renseignement.

 

La réaction de Londres est d'autant plus vive qu'un second otage britannique est menacé de mort par l'EI dans sa vidéo sur la décapitation de David Haines, qualifié de héros britannique par M. Cameron.

 

Dans l'enregistrement de 2 minutes 27 secondes, intitulé Un message aux alliés de l'Amérique, le bourreau au visage masqué reproche au chef du gouvernement britannique d'avoir rejoint les États-Unis, qui mènent des frappes aériennes contre l'EI.

 

Vous êtes volontairement entrés dans une coalition avec les États-Unis contre l'État islamique, comme votre prédécesseur Tony Blair l'a fait avant vous, suivant une tendance parmi nos Premiers ministres britanniques qui ne peuvent pas trouver le courage de dire non aux Américains, dit-il.

 

L'inconnu à l'accent britannique pourrait être le même homme que celui apparaissant dans les vidéos des exécutions de deux journalistes américains James Foley et Steven Sotloff, selon les experts.

 

Londres a annoncé cette semaine l'envoi pour 2 millions d'euros de mitrailleuses lourdes et de munitions aux forces kurdes d'Irak pour lutter contre les jihadistes. Avant cette annonce, le Royaume-Uni avait envoyé de l'aide humanitaire et des armes provenant de pays tiers en Irak.

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2 septembre 2014 2 02 /09 /septembre /2014 11:50
Londres muscle son arsenal législatif antiterroriste

David Cameron propose la réintroduction de mesures de contrôle, abandonnées en 2012, permettant aux forces de l'ordre de déplacer et de restreindre la liberté de circulation de toute personne suspecte d'activités terroristes, sans décision de justice.

 

01/09/2014 Par Florentin Collomp – LeFigaro.fr

 

Privation de passeport, contrôle des déplacements, le gouvernement cherche à enrayer le phénomène des djihadistes.

 

Neuf ans après les attentats qui avaient tué 52 personnes dans les transports en commun de Londres, le Royaume-Uni repart à l'offensive contre le terrorisme. Le meurtre du journaliste américain James Foley, filmé il y a quinze jours entre les mains d'un djihadiste vraisemblablement britannique proférant des menaces contre l'Occident, a remis le sujet au premier plan. Vendredi, les services de sécurité ont relevé le niveau d'alerte terroriste d'un cran, de «substantielle» à «sévère». Cela signifie qu'une attaque sur le sol britannique est «hautement probable». «Certains de ces complots impliquent probablement des combattants étrangers, de Grande-Bretagne et d'Europe», a souligné la ministre de l'Intérieur, Theresa May. Et ce lundi, David Cameron a présenté au Parlement une série de mesures pour renforcer son arsenal législatif antiterroriste.

 

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15 juillet 2014 2 15 /07 /juillet /2014 11:50
Royaume-uni : le ministre de la Défense Philip Hammond remplace Hague

Le ministre de la Défense britannique et prochain ministre des Affaires étrangères, Philip Hammond

 

15.07.2014 Boursorama (AFP)

 

Le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron a annoncé mardi sur son compte officiel Twitter qu'il avait nommé l'actuel ministre de la Défense Philip Hammond comme nouveau ministre des Affaires étrangères, en remplacement de William Hague.

 

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9 juillet 2014 3 09 /07 /juillet /2014 11:50
David Cameron opens the Edinburgh Detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve

 

09.07.2014 Royal Navy

 

Lt Col Richard Parvin (RM), the Commanding Officer of RMR Scotland, talks about the opening of the RMR Edinburgh detachment and what the superb new facilities will mean to the Royal Marines Reserve.

 

He also talks about the importance of the visit by David Cameron and the vital role of the Royal Marines Reserve.

 

You can find more info, news and pictures from RMR Scotland on their web page:

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31 janvier 2014 5 31 /01 /janvier /2014 17:50
UK and France agree closer defence co-operation

An RAF guard of honour greets French President Francois Hollande and UK Prime Minister David Cameron at RAF Brize Norton [Picture: Sergeant Dave Rose RAF, Crown copyright]

 

31 January 2014 Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and Ministry of Defence

 

The UK and France have agreed to strengthen defence co-operation following a summit at RAF Brize Norton today.

 

A communiqué signed by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande sets out plans for closer ties between the 2 countries.

Building on the Lancaster House treaty signed in 2010, the agreements further the security and prosperity of the 2 nations through commitments to jointly invest in the procurement of defence equipment, the joint training of armed forces and the continued development of the Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force.

Both countries have today signed:

  • a statement of intent for a future combat air system, which would launch a 2-year, £120 million joint feasibility phase that will see British and French industries working together

  • technical arrangements for our exchange programme to provide RAF pilots and engineers with experience of operating the A400M ahead of the delivery of the UK’s first aircraft later this year; and for French pilots to gain flying experience on the RAF’s A330 Voyager aircraft

  • a memorandum of understanding confirming joint orders for a future helicopter-launched, anti-surface guided weapon for our navies

 

Agreements have also been reached that will see:

  • a £10 million contract for the development of underwater vehicles capable of finding and neutralising seabed mines

  • investment in the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, Berkshire, to allow collaboration on and safe testing of UK and French stockpiles and greater sharing of technical and scientific data to further joint research

  • further co-operation between both armies in the areas of equipment capability and interoperability

Both countries also agreed to build on international peacekeeping missions carried out by their respective forces in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, agreed to continue the development of a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force capable of carrying out co-ordinated expeditionary military operations.

The 2 nations also agreed joint efforts to tackle security issues in north and west Africa, in particular terrorism, as well as drug and arms trafficking to achieve long term stability in the regions.

Mr Hammond said:

Britain and France are natural partners for defence co-operation. We have made substantial progress since the Lancaster House treaty was signed in 2010 and today we have committed ourselves to go further still.

The agreements we have reached at this summit will improve the interoperability of our forces, enhance our joint equipment procurement and build on our capacity to support security and stability in places such as Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic.

Philip Hammond shakes hands with the French Defence Minister
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond shakes hands with the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, at RAF Brize Norton [Picture: Paul Crouch, Crown copyright]
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31 janvier 2014 5 31 /01 /janvier /2014 13:50
Un pilote anglais sur le Rafale français (crédits: Ministère de la Défense)

Un pilote anglais sur le Rafale français (crédits: Ministère de la Défense)

 

31 janvier, 2014 Guillaume Belan (FOB)

 

David Cameron accueille aujourd’hui François Hollande et Jean-Yves Le Drian sur la base de l’armée britannique de Brize Norton, près d’Oxford. La base d’où décollent les avions engagés dans les opérations de transport militaire au Mali et en Centrafrique en soutien des forces françaises engagées. Lancée par les accords de Lancaster House de 2010 et réaffirmée par le précédent sommet de Paris de février 2012, la coopération entre le Royaume-Uni et la France se porte bien. Londres est devenu en quelques années le partenaire défense privilégié de la France.

 

Depuis les trois dernières années, les visites, échanges et exercices entre les deux armées se sont multipliés et les programmes d’armements communs se développent.

 

Sur le plan opérationnel, l’objectif, qui devrait être réaffirmé aujourd’hui est l’établissement d’une force de projection commune, la Common Joint Expeditionnary Force (CJEF), qui doit obtenir sa certification dès 2016. De nombreux exercices sont en cours et une importante étape devrait être franchie avec l’exercice de niveau division Rochambeau en mai prochain.

 

De nombreuses annonces sont attendues sur le plan des programmes, ils concernent tous les secteurs: volet dissuasion, air (recherches communes sur un futur drone de combat UCAS), mer (anti-navire-léger; guerre des mines).

 

Le terrestre n’est pas en reste avec la probable acquisition par la France de drones tactiques Watchkeeper (Thales), afin de remplacer le SDTI Sperwer (Sagem) vieillissant.

 

Les anglais quant à eux s’intéressent de près au VBCI de Nexter et devraient bientôt lancer une campagne d’évaluation. Des rumeurs insistantes font également état d’un fort intérêt britannique pour le canon automoteur d’artillerie Caesar de 155 mm (Nexter). Les deux pays développent également ensemble un nouveau calibre, le CTA 40 mm qui équipera les futurs blindés britanniques et l’EBRC français.

 

Les anglais mettent également en œuvre le drone MALE Reaper que la France utilise depuis Niamey (Niger) pour le théâtre malien depuis peu.

 

De nombreux projets communs qui vont renforcer l’interopérabilité des deux armées. Le Royaume Uni est aussi l’un des très rares soutiens européens indéfectibles dans les récentes opérations menées par Paris (Lybie, Mali, RCA…), à la différence de l’autre grand partenaire, l’Allemagne.

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30 septembre 2013 1 30 /09 /septembre /2013 11:50
Britain to host Nato summit

27 Sep 2013 By Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent

 

Britain will host next year’s Nato summit as the military alliance draws up plans for Afghanistan after combat troops pull out, David Cameron has announced.

 

The summit will be the first time the biennial gathering of alliance leaders has been held in the UK since 1990.

 

Downing Street said that the dates and venues would be announced later, but Mr Cameron confirmed the agenda would be dominated by the lengthy Afghan campaign.

 

He said: "It will be an opportunity for leaders to recognise the contribution and the sacrifice made by our service men and women as the [international] mission in Afghanistan draws to a close, and as Nato draws down its forces and looks to help Afghanistan in different ways.”

 

The Nato-led international coalition is quickly withdrawing the more than 80,000 troops it still has in the country. Nato has said all combat troops will leave by the end of 2014 and fully handover security duties to Afghan forces.

 

American and British commanders believe Afghan forces will not be ready in time to stand on their own against the Taliban though, and want to keep a force of military trainers and special forces troops in the country.

 

Last week The Telegraph disclosed that the Army was pushing a plan to keep up to 200 advisers in Camp Bastion in Helmand province to help the Afghan army.

 

Gen Sir David Richards, former head of the Armed Forces, said having the summit was “excellent news” for the UK.

 

He said: “It confirms the leading role the country continues to play in Nato and on the world stage. In terms of combat effectiveness UK armed forces are the second most powerful in Nato. Given other nations’ defence cuts this will still be the case well into the 2020s.

 

“I am delighted that the UK will play a leading role in devising alliance strategy in the post Afghanistan era. In what is a very troubled world, working closely with allies and friends will be as important as at any time in our history".

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20 février 2012 1 20 /02 /février /2012 18:35
Analysis: Anglo-French UAV Initiative Long on Ambition, Short on Funds

 

February 20, 2012 defense-unmanned.com

(Source: Defense-Aerospace.com; published Feb. 20, 2012)

(By Giovanni de Briganti)

 

PARIS --- The ambitious plan announced last week by Britain and France to jointly launch cooperation on unmanned aerial vehicles is unlikely to significantly change the current landscape of Europe’s UAV sector, sources say.

While in their Feb. 17 joint statement French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron describe the initiative as a “long-term strategic partnership framework,” the lack of firm funding commitments, and its very circumspect wording, are such that they do not significantly advance plans enshrined in the two leaders’ previous joint statement of November 2010.


Little Concrete Progress Since 2010

In fact, little concrete progress seems to have been achieved in the 16 months since the two signed their “Declaration on Defence and Security Co-operation” on Nov. 2, 2010.

This document called for the two countries to ”launch a jointly funded, competitive assessment phase in 2011, with a view to new equipment delivery between 2015 and 2020” for a Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) UAV.

This “competitive assessment phase” has now been downgraded to a “risk-reduction study,” while the target dates for delivery have disappeared completely.

In the field of Unmanned Combat Air Systems, the 2010 declaration said Britain and France ”will develop over the next two years a joint technological and industrial roadmap. This could lead to a decision in 2012 to launch a joint Technology and Operational Demonstration programme from 2013 to 2018.”

The joint roadmap has disappeared from the Feb. 17 statement, as have the target dates for the UCAS demonstration program.

This can hardly be considered as progress.

The downgrade also extends to the size of the planned investment by the two governments.

The risk-reduction study contract due to be awarded shortly for the Euro MALE is estimated to be worth substantially less than 100 million euros over 12 or 18 months, which falls well short of industry expectations as well as of the amount required to achieve meaningful technological progress.

In June 2011, when BAE Systems and Dassault made public their cooperation on the Euro MALE, they revealed they had made an unsolicited proposal to Britain and France in July 2010. At that time, the program’s cost was estimated at about 500 million euros for each country, to finance the development, production and operation of a small initial batch of Telemos unmanned aircraft.

The second initiative announced last week also falls short of expectations. While it calls for a joint Future Combat Air System Demonstration Program, the two countries have only committed to awarding a contract to begin the specification of this demonstrator, which again falls very short of their previous ambitions.

The statement’s emphasis that future needs be met “in a cost-effective manner,” is also interpreted by some as implying that Britain does not exclude going it alone, and launching a competition to select its future UAV, although others say this is simply a sop to the Eurosceptic wing of Cameron’s Conservative Party.

But this is not to say that the Feb. 17 is totally meaningless.

Political Significance

It is of great political significance, for example, that Britain and France have decided to move forward on a bilateral basis which, for the time being, clearly excludes other EU partners.

The consequence of the decision to work together to develop a UCAS, albeit for the long term, is that Britain is turning its back on its Eurofighter partners, and France on its Neuron partners, to form a new partnership between two countries that have not cooperated on a major defense program since the 1960s.

The agreement also clearly identifies BAE and Dassault as the lead UAV contractors in each country, and implicitly excludes EADS, Thales and other potential players from having any meaningful role in either the Euro MALE or the UCAS programs.

This is likely to spark a more visible version of the underground lobbying campaign that has been waged in France over the past year, as it is generally admitted that since future combat aircraft will be unmanned, firms missing out on the Euro MALE and UCAS programs will be unable to continue in this lucrative market.

Battle for Survival

The battle for survival will now pit the BAE-Dassault partnership, who will now develop the Euro MALE, against the EADS/Cassidian group, which is keen to reverse its loss of French UAV business to Dassault and determined to remain a major player.

As prime contractor of Eurohawk, lead company in a European risk reduction study, designer of the Talarion UAV, and provided of the Heron UAV to the German military, EADS has in recent months signed agreements with various European firms also eager to play keep a foot the military UAV sector: Cassidian has teamed with Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi; taken over Skycopter, a small French firm; allowed Turkey’s TAI to join its Talarion project and, most recently, taken over the UAV business of Germany’s Rheinmetall group.

However, the problem facing Cassidian is that none of these countries has any funds to invest in UAVs, and – perhaps most ominously – it has been shut out of France’s other funded UAV program: the procurement of an interim MALE vehicle, a Heron TP adapted to French military requirements, which has been awarded to Dassault Aviation in cooperation with IAI.

The only real chance for other manufacturers to remain in play, sources say, is if the French government is voted out of office in the presidential elections due in May. The Socialist party, which according to opinion polls is most likely to be win, intends to radically reform military procurement, and would probably look to an alternative, pan-European UAV program whose leadership would be more likely go to EADS Cassidian than to Dassault, especially if, as rumored here, outgoing EADS chief executive Louis Gallois is appointed minister for industry.

Whatever happens on the political field, Britain and France have little to show for the last two years of “strategic cooperation,” and unless they begin to seriously invest in the field of unmanned vehicles they could well and up being distanced by more agile competitors, which would doom the future prospects of European industry in the field of unmanned aircraft.

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20 février 2012 1 20 /02 /février /2012 08:05
Nicolas Sarkozy et David Cameron lors de la conférence de presse conjointe vendredi 17 février 2012 au Palais de l'Élysée, à l'issue du Sommet franco-britannique

Nicolas Sarkozy et David Cameron lors de la conférence de presse conjointe vendredi 17 février 2012 au Palais de l'Élysée, à l'issue du Sommet franco-britannique

 

 

17/02/2012 Ministère de la Défense

 

En clôture du Sommet franco-britannique qui s'est tenu au Palais de l'Elysée, le 17 février, le président de la République Nicolas Sarkozy et le Premier ministre britannique David Cameron ont fait une déclaration commune sur le thème de la Défense. Nous vous proposons de lire l'intégralité de cette déclaration sur la sécurité et la défense.

 

A l'issue du Sommet franco-britannique qui s'est tenu au Palais de l'Elysée ce 17 février, le président de la République, Nicolas Sarkozy et le Premier ministre britannique, David Cameron ont tenu une conférence de presse au cours de laquelle ils ont souligné "l'excellence des relations franco-britanniques". Dans le domaine de la coopération de Défense, le chef de l'Etat français a notamment déclaré "Il faut bien le dire, la Grande-Bretagne et la France portent l'essentiel de l'effort de la politique de Défense de l'Europe, restant chacun souverain dans son pays, mais nos amis britanniques ont une grande armée, une grande tradition militaire. La France également, nous travaillons ensemble ".

 

Lire l'intégralité de la déclaration conjointe franco-britannique de Défense.

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