Declassified UK - Intelligence Briefing
Posted: 10th March 2023
DCUK-INTEL
Weekly public intelligence brief on UK foreign & security policies:
For members of Declassified UK only
Issue 95 – Week to 9 March 2023
MIDDLE EAST
- Over the next three weeks, UK forces will -&c=j2hhR_Yy-z9CvvXROzfBYDyvV_3×4Zcukfxk_d7JbdQFnZJtSa2BSQ==&ch=hZJZ8IwbYTriiEa1EnYW8FCzL5Q-Eno_a8DpqADms8Ml8Qaj_1oiIQ==”>visited Iraq and met with president Abdul Latif Rashid, prime minister Mohammad Shia Al Sudani, foreign minister Fuad Hussein, and national security adviser Qasim al-Araji. Discussions focused on “shared challenges such as climate change, security, and human rights”.
Oman
- Oman signed a deal with UK company Knights Bay to extract nickel, in the sultanate’s first mineral exploration agreement with a foreign partner. The initial investment is valued at between $25 and $30 million.
- Foreign minister David Rutley refused to directly answer a question in parliament regarding human rights in Oman, where independent media and political parties are banned.
Saudi Arabia
- The UK government signed a new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia during a meeting between defence secretary Ben Wallace and Prince Khalid bin Salman. “The Defence Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s enduring commitment to work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with discussion of how to enhance the bilateral relationship yet further”, the government noted.
- Saudi jets arrived in the UK ahead of Britain’s largest air exercise named Cobra Warrior. The exercise “is designed to train participants in high-intensity, large-scale tactical air warfighting operations”. Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen have killed civilians and been condemned as war crimes.
Israel
- The UK government signed a joint statement alongside France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain which condemned “the continuing, growing violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”. There are no signs however that the UK government will end its military relationship with Israel, apply sanctions, or take any form of meaningful action.
- UK trade secretary Kemi Badenoch visited Israel as Britain tries “to strengthen its trade relationship with Israel across a range of high growth sectors, including financial services, digital, healthcare and infrastructure”. This comes after Israel elected the most right-wing government in its history.
Iran
- After the British navy announced that it had intercepted “Iran missiles” headed for Yemen, the Iranian government claimed that this was “fake news”. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said: “The countries which… are the biggest exporters of weapons and equipment to critical areas of the world are trying to mislead world public opinion by making false claims and promoting fake news”.
ASIA
Afghanistan
- Prince Harry said that some British soldiers did not “necessarily agree” with the war in Afghanistan, “but you were doing what you were trained to do, you were doing what you were sent to do”.
Armenia
- It was revealed that a Russian-backed development bank “is set to finance a controversial mining project in Armenia which has been lobbied for heavily” by the UK Foreign Office.
China
- UK defence minister Alex Chalk warned that China could “infiltrate” the UK’s weapons supply chain.
- It was noted in parliament that the UK spent £184m on aid to China in 2019-21 before cutting it by 95% in 2021/22.
India
- MI6 chief Richard Moore reportedly met with intelligence chiefs from 25 other countries in New Delhi, India, to discuss “the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on the Global South”.
AFRICA
Libya
- Following the publication of the final report from the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, Declassified UK noted that “the key questions about the bomber’s connections to the UK military and intelligence services” were not addressed. As a result, “the bereaved families have been let down”.
- It was reported that the families of some of the bombing victims will sue MI5 after the inquiry heard “security service received two vital pieces of intelligence on terrorist Salman Abedi” but did not act on it.
Somaliland
- Declassified reported on how a colonial border is causing conflict in Africa, with nearly 200,000 people having fled from a city in Somaliland. The conflict “is another reminder that the legacy of empire casts a long shadow”.
Kenya
- Kenyan politicians debated and passed a motion which criticises the British army for causing forest fires, death and injury, and using white phosphorous. The motion draws heavily on Declassified’s series of investigations on British involvement in the African country.
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Russia/Ukraine
- The British Royal Navy and Ukrainian cyber warfare experts combined forces in a training exercise involving 34 teams from 11 nations, including the US, Singapore, Japan, Kenya, and Oman. The objective of the exercise was to “respond to simulated cyber threats, including attacks on networks, industry control systems, and unmanned robotic system”.
- It was reported that a UK-led £520m international fund to provide fresh weapons to Ukraine had been “plagued by delays, with only £200m allocated amid warnings that the rest of the funding” won’t provide arms until summer.
- The UK government denied claims that it would increase its pledge of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, after the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, stated that the UK would double the number of tanks given.
- Britain’s defence industry “is to be blocked from profiting from the EU’s vast increase in spending on arms for Ukraine”, a leaked plan revealed.
- MPs warned that the UK’s ammunition stockpile is at “dangerously low” levels due to the Ukraine war.
- It was reported that UK defence secretary Ben Wallace is reviewing his plan to cut the size of the British army to 73,000 troops in light of the war in Ukraine.
Italy
- The UK’s minister for defence procurement Alex Chalk visitedMilan to discuss the pan-Europe Eurofighter Typhoon programme alongside representatives from Italy, Spain, and Germany. Typhoon jets are to be fitted with the world’s most advanced radar system as part of a £2.35 billion investment programme.
AMERICAS
Argentina
- Declassified UK revealed in 2022 allegations that the Argentine minister who negotiated an important UK-Argentina deal on the Falkland Islands was drunk. The Argentine government has now announced it is cancelling the controversial agreement.
United States
- The UK and Australian governments AUKUS security pact, asking the Joe Biden administration to “relax restrictions on the sharing of technology and information”.
- It was reported that UK prime minister Rishi Sunak will announce a multi-billion pound spending increase on defenceduring a trip to the US to meet Biden.
AUSTRALIA
- It was reported Sunak expects Australia will choose to buy British-designed nuclear powered-submarines as part of the AUKUS pact. “The deal has definitely gone our way. The prime minister was buzzing about it when he told ministers, smiling and bouncing on the balls of his feet”, one minister said.
CLIMATE
- UK activists were warned by senior civil servants that they may face court actions because of their “catastrophic failure to develop policies for tackling climate change”, according to leaked documents.
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