News Search Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind Site search Web search Story archive		7-8-2003 Scotsman Defence cuts 'weaken Britain's terrorist response force' By Gethin Chamberlain Defence Correspondent CUTS in defence spending were yesterday blamed for leaving the army reliant on reservists in Iraq and damaging its capability of dealing with a major terrorist incident in Britain. The Ministry of Defence yesterday confirmed that more than a quarter of the 10,700 British troops currently serving in Iraq are reservists. That has left a shortfall in the number of troops available to serve in the network of Civil Contingency Reaction Forces, which was intended to be in place by the end of the year to support the police and civil authorities in the event of a terrorist attack. Last night, Patrick Mercer, the Conservative spokesman on homeland security, accused the government of failing to take the terrorist threat seriously. "Even the slender resource of the CCRF has been eroded by the overstretch of the regular forces," he said. "It is not yet even operationally effective. Those units which are getting close to operational readiness will have taken a severe kicking by having to fill in for the regular army." He said that up to a third of reservists earmarked for the new force had been called up for Iraq, leaving it incapable of dealing with a major terrorist incident. "I strongly suggest that the CCRF would not be anywhere near taking on that task," Mr Mercer said. "This is the problem you have with trying to do home defence on the cheap - by double-hatting all your reservists and, secondly, by having your regular forces stretched to breaking point." The setting up of the CCRF was announced last summer by Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, who said it could play an important role in helping defend the UK from terrorists. But in May, Colonel Richard Putnam of the Council of Reserve Forces' Association warned the Commons defence select committee that the plans for the CCRF were unrealistic. The committee accused the MoD of failing to take seriously the need to plan for a mass-effect terrorist attack in the UK.
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