Former U.S. Secretary Of Defense Gates: U.K. Defense Cuts May Imperil Military Partnership With The U.S.

Military Cuts Mean 'No US Partnership', Robert Gates Warns Britain -- BBC

UK armed forces cuts will limit the country's ability to be a major player on the world stage, ex-US defence secretary Robert Gates has warned.

The UK plans to cut 30,000 armed forces personnel by 2020, leaving 147,000.

The prime minister said Mr Gates was wrong and that the UK was a "first class-player in terms of defence".

Mr Gates also questioned whether "artificial" states in the Middle East "like Libya, Iraq and Syria can be held together absent of repression".

Mr Gates, who served under presidents Obama and Bush, told the BBC that was because they were made up of "historically adversarial groups".

And he said that although it was unlikely to happen, the US did have the capability to intervene in the Syrian conflict but lacked a "broader strategy to deal with the broader conflicts in the Middle East".

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More News On Former U.S. Secretary Of Defense Gates' Comments That U.K. Defense Cuts May Imperil Military Partnership With The U.S.

Former US defence sec: UK armed forces have 'limited' capabilities -- BBC Radio 4
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Robert Gates: UK military becoming unviable as a fighting force -- The Guardian
Military Cuts: UK Cannot Be 'Full US Partner' -- SKY News
Robert Gates Warns on UK Military Spending Cuts -- AP
Gates: British Cuts Limiting Military Partnership With US -- Defense News/AFP
British defense cuts weaken military partnership with U.S., Gates warns -- Washington Post
Gates warns U.K. defense cuts may imperil relationship with U.S. -- UPI