The British government plans to inject an estimated 4 billion pounds for its special forces and cyber warriors to fight against terror in the wake of the deadly Paris attacks that killed 129 people.
British Prime Minister David Cameron used a foreign policy speech at the City of London’s Guildhall last night to announce extra funds over the next five years for the Special Air Service (SAS) and other special forces like the Special Boat Service (SBS) to pay for weapons, vehicles including helicopters, protective equipment and night fighting gear.
Britain, France and our allies from around the world will never be cowed by terrorism. We will only redouble our resolve to defeat it.David Cameron, British PM
It was also made public on Monday that the SAS is to have a far greater role in combating any terrorist attacks in Britain under a review of security tactics. Cameron repeated the government’s commitment to spending 2 per cent of the national GDP on defence every year for the rest of the parliament(?), and said that the government would back a new 2 billion pound investment programme for special forces, maintaining Trident and expanding cybersecurity capabilities.
In his speech, Cameron also said that at least 50 per cent of the UK’s international development budget would be spent on “stabilising and supporting broken and fragile states”, a rise of around 2 billion pounds, up from 30 per cent.
He reiterated the government’s plan to hire over 1,900 additional security and intelligence staff and put more money on expanding Britain’s network of counter-terrorism experts in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and more than double its spending on aviation security.
UK Chancellor George Osborne on Tuesday announced a doubling of investment in cyber security to 1.9 billion pound by 2020. In an unprecedented speech at the UK’s listening post of GCHQ in Cheltenham, Osborne revealed plans for a new National Cyber Centre and a new Institute for Coding, which will be at the heart of a new National Cyber Security Strategy.
He said: “ISIL is already using the internet for hideous propaganda purposes; for radicalisation, for operational planning too. They have not been able to use it to kill people yet by attacking our infrastructure through cyberattack. They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it.”
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard plans to erect a ring of steel around Wembley Stadium when England hosts France in an international friendly football match on Tuesday night. Prince William is due to attend while Cameron is considering going, after suggesting he would be prepared to take his son in a show of solidarity in the wake of the Paris attacks.
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