War

It was less than three ago that Prime Minister David Cameron announced ‘mission accomplished’ in Afghanistan, yet up to 100 more British soldiers are likely to be sent back to protect Kabul from a resurgent Taliban. Defense sources said the US had called on its allies to contribute more troops and that the UK was in discussions with NATO to settle on numbers, according to a report in the Telegraph RT reports: The news follows a flying visit to Kabul by UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on Thursday.

Politicians and human rights campaigners have slammed the British army for sending troops to train and mentor authoritarian regimes like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, saying the “deeply concerning” practice needs to be addressed. Criticism came after it was revealed that British troops are taking part in a combined exercise in Turkey with Saudi, Qatari and Turkish troops.

Washington has asked Moscow not to conduct airstrikes against Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, otherwise known as al-Nusra Front Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reported that the US are worried that members of the “moderate opposition” could also be hit.

President Putin has authorised an aggressive military response to an intensification of NATO activity in the Baltic Sea, preparing Russia for a potential war with NATO and its allies.  Russian ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said that the country is preparing a full-on military and political response to NATO’s hostile behavior in the area.

Poland are to deploy an additional 35,000 troops to its borders in order to prepare for a potential fight with Russia.  Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz  confirmed that a 35,000-member paramilitary force will be enrolled, aimed at countering a perceived threat from Russia. “Enrolment of the first members of the territorial defence force will start in September,” Macierewicz said at a conference of paramilitary organisations in Ostroda.