Summary
Various media outlets report that a soldier from 200 Signal Squadron has died at a patrol base in Helmand province, Afghanistan. | Various websites report that a US Marine who admitted being involved in killing 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians has been spared time in jail. | BBC Online reports that the MOD is doing little to counter a rise in the theft of expensive military equipment, according to a report by the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC). | BBC Radio 4's Today programme reports that former Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox has said that instability in Syria and other neighbouring countries would be of great concern to Iran, driving the country to pursue a nuclear programme. | BBC Online reports that many members of the Armed Forces based in London are to lose their London allowance under MOD cost-saving plans. | The Financial Times has a feature claiming Western governments feel more confident that the terrorism threat has subsided because jihadists have suffered a number of setbacks, including the death of bin Laden, and terrorist groups in Pakistan are being decimated by US drone attacks. | The Wall Street Journal reports that French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has said that there won't be a rushed exit of French troops from Afghanistan following the shooting of four French troops last week. | The Financial Times and the Daily Express report that defence firm Chemring has warned that the defence industry is facing a twin squeeze due to the global economic downturn and withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. | Various papers cover Defence Secretary Philip Hammond's comments yesterday that the UK has a contingent capability to reinforce the military presence in the Gulf, if required. | Various papers report that the MOD's redundancy plans are 'grotesquely unfair' according to a report by a group of MPs. | The Guardian, Daily Telegraph and Independent report that a Freedom of Information request has revealed that companies have been paying up to £1,800 a head to meet ministers, senior government advisers and MPs at networking events organised by a private company.
Soldier from 200 Signal Squadron dies in Afghanistan
It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must announce the death of a soldier from 20th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (200) in Afghanistan on Tuesday 24 January 2012 at an ISAF patrol base in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. Click here to read more.
HCDC report criticises sacking of troops
Several newspapers report that MPs have attacked as 'grotesque' the way that British troops are being subjected to compulsory redundancy while MOD civilians are able to leave voluntarily.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: "The Select Committee's report is simply wrong in what it says on military redundancies. Every opportunity is being given for military personnel to retrain either for alternative roles in the Armed Forces or in civilian life, but the simple fact is we have to tackle the massive deficit we inherited and the huge black hole in the Defence Budget.
"We have already announced the reduction in military and civilian manpower that we will have to make to get our Armed Forces on a stable basis for the future. I am determined to get the Defence Budget back into balance so our Armed Forces have certainty and clarity about the future."
Britain ready to reinforce military presence in the Gulf
Various papers cover the Defence Secretary's comments yesterday that the UK has a contingent capability to reinforce the military presence in the Gulf, if required.
A MOD spokesman said: "Coalition patrols in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz are a routine part of our commitment to the free movement of international shipping in the region. The Royal Navy has had a constant presence in the Gulf since 1980 and UK frigates regularly pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
"This weekend's movement through the Strait is not designed to increase tensions with Iran or in the region, and we have no desire to seek a confrontation. We want a peaceful, negotiated solution to the nuclear issue, not a military one.
"It is of course the case that the Government works with international partners on contingency arrangements for threats posed by Iran to UK interests, including in the Strait of Hormuz."
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