General Patrick Saunders, Chief of the British Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, declared that the government must now prepare to “mobilize the people” for war. He said a “citizen army” would be needed to strengthen Britain’s military in wartime.
Sanders spoke at the International Armored Vehicle Conference (IAVC) in London to an audience of 1,000 military leaders, government officials and arms suppliers from around the world.
He described civilians as a “pre-war generation” who must “think like an army” and “mentally prepare to fight.” This was a “national project.”
Mr Sanders’ speech on Wednesday was framed as a warning that the war with Russia cannot be won, given the size of Britain’s full-time regular army of 74,110 people. He called for expanding the military strength to 120,000 soldiers within three years, including a “strategic reserve” of regular soldiers, reservists and veterans.
But this expanded professional and reserve force is not enough. NATO’s war in Ukraine demonstrated the need for a “civilian army.” “Regular armies start wars. Citizen armies win them.”
“Our friends in Eastern and Northern Europe, who feel more acutely the approach of the Russian threat, are already acting cautiously and are laying the foundations for national mobilization.” “We need a military that is designed to expand rapidly to enable the first tier, resource the second tier, and train and equip the citizen forces that will follow.”
Sanders cited recent warnings from NATO leaders and the Swedish government that civilians need to prepare for military conflict against Russia across Europe, including nuclear war.
“As the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee warned just last week, and as the Swedish government has done, we must prepare for Sweden’s membership in NATO and put our societies in combat readiness when necessary. Taking preparedness steps to enable this is now not just desirable, it is essential.”
Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, told a meeting of top defense officials last week that NATO allies must be ready “to have more personnel in the event of war” and to “mobilize… , reservists, and conscription.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius this week predicted a full-scale war between Russia and NATO would occur “within five to eight years.” Sweden’s Minister of Civil Defense Karl-Oskar Bolin told civilians they must be ready for war. Have you ever wondered if you have time to join a self-defense organization? If not, get moving! Prior to joining NATO, Sweden recently reintroduced national conscription.
media blackout
Mr Sanders’ speech was widely covered by the British media, but Downing Street intervened to prevent journalists from obtaining copies. This sinister ban extended to banning television networks from broadcasting Sanders’ speech from the venue.
sky news Security and Defense Editor Deborah Haines tweeted Wednesday that “TV cameras were not allowed to broadcast his speech, but it is unclear why.”
of guardian It reported that the speech was “announced by the British Army on behalf of senior generals” but was not released by the Ministry of Defense (MoD).
However, the British Army Press Office (run by the Ministry of Defence) refused to provide a copy. World Socialist Website. A spokesperson confirmed that Sanders’ speech “has never been and will never be made public.” The Ministry of Defense did not give a reason.of guardian‘s defense editor did not respond to our request for a copy of the speech, given his role as a spokesperson for the military and intelligence community.
By Wednesday night, times, telegraph and Independent It was reported that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s office had intervened to prevent Mr Sanders’ speech from being broadcast or published.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson told the media that “hypothetical scenarios” about future conflict were “useless”. His office insisted there were “no plans” for conscription.
of times “Number 10 has repeatedly blocked military leaders from speaking to the media, with insiders accusing Rishi Sunak of being paranoid about messaging ahead of the general election.”
The reason for Mr Sunak’s intervention is clear. Nothing should be done to warn the British public of the devastating consequences of the government’s escalating military operations in collaboration with US and NATO forces around the world.
In this election year, when about half of the world’s population goes to vote, capitalist governments are determined to prevent any debate or debate on the life-and-death issues of war. Whether against the imperialist-backed genocide in Gaza or against the escalating global war between NATO countries and the AUKUS military alliance, which stretches from Ukraine to the Middle East and is spearheading a military buildup against China, Opposition is not precluded.
Massive protests have spread across the world, and it is clearer than ever that millions of ordinary people are against genocide and war. #Conscription was trending across social media yesterday as news of Sanders’ speech spread. A poll conducted by actor Ricky Tomlinson on Twitter/X asked, “Would you like to sign up and fight for King and Country?” The video has been viewed more than 45,000 times, with 93% voting “no” to conscription.
Thousands more angrily denounced the mere suggestion of conscription. Comments on Twitter/X include, “National service? When rich people ask poor people to die for a country they care nothing about,” and “What if they asked my 21-year-old If I think for a second that I’m sending my son as cannon fodder to some rich idiots, I can’t govern, they can do shit right there, literally over my dead body.”
War alliance between Conservative Party and Labor Party
Popular anti-war sentiment has clashed not only with the Conservative Party, but also with the Labor Party, which has demonstrated its full commitment to the war and domestic political repression. Its leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has branded the protests in defense of the Palestinian people a “march of hate”, opposition to Israel’s fascist government as “anti-Semitism” that must be eradicated, and condemned Israel’s genocide in Gaza. openly supports it.
Yesterday, Mr Starmer posted on Twitter/X: “Labour will always act in the national interest to protect the security of the UK at home and abroad.” It includes a video of a speech in the House of Commons supporting Britain’s airstrikes on Yemen, saying: “To be clear, we support this targeted action to strengthen maritime security in the Red Sea.” …We must stand united and strong.”
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Labor and the Conservative Party function as a single war party. Since October 7, Starmer has seamlessly supported Britain’s military deployment to the Middle East, including the bombing of Lebanon in preparation for war against Iran. British spy planes are actively supporting Israel’s genocide from Royal Air Force bases in Cyprus.
Mr Sunak is no different from Mr Sanders, he just wants to keep Britain’s further war plans, including its conscription plans, a secret. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps gave a speech at Lancaster House last week, declaring a historic shift from “a post-war world to a pre-war world”.
Mr Shapps described the fall of the Berlin Wall as a “distant memory” and said the “peace dividend” after the end of the Cold War had ended. He reiterated the government’s commitment to increase the UK’s NATO military involvement to 3% of GDP, warning that “multiple theaters could be on the table in five years’ time”. [of war]” and accused Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea of upsetting the “rules-based order.” It was a story betrayed by three decades of imperialist violence that left millions dead and injured since the first Gulf War in 1990-1991.
The government tried to downplay Mr Sanders’ call for conscription, but Britain’s former NATO commander, General Richard Sherif, said: sky news On Thursday, he said current global challenges and defense cuts since the end of the Cold War mean “we need to rise above many cultural constraints and assumptions and think about the unthinkable.” .
“I think we need to go further and carefully consider conscription,” he said.