• Disrupting Power Since 2015
  • Donate
  • Login
Friday, May 16, 2025
  • Login
  • Register
Canary
MEDIA THAT DISRUPTS
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION
SUPPORT
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Canary
No Result
View All Result

Here’s evidence of the ‘seven covert wars’ the UK’s fighting right now

Fréa Lockley by Fréa Lockley
18 September 2019
in Analysis, Global, UK
Reading Time: 5 mins read
162 10
A A
2
Home Global Analysis
320
SHARES
2.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Many people in Britain live under the illusion that war happens ‘out there’ and only involves other countries across the globe. But as new evidence from journalists Mark Curtis and Matt Kennard demonstrates, this isn’t true. The UK’s currently engaged in “seven covert wars”. And our government also continues to profit from these wars.

“Zero parliamentary or public oversight”

Curtis and Kennard’s article in the Daily Maverick reveals that UK special forces (UKSF) are currently engaged in conflict in: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Yet the nature of UKSF operations means that our “political system enables ministers to conduct secret wars in our name with zero parliamentary or public oversight”. 

As the authors explain:

The British government states that its policy on the covert wars it fights is “not to comment, and to dissuade others from commenting or speculating, about the operational activities of special forces because of the security implications”.

Added to this, the UK’s Freedom of Information Act gives “absolute exemption” to UKSF activities. So this makes it virtually impossible for anyone to question or “scrutinise policy”. And if any information is leaked to the establishment media, there’s another layer of control in place.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) DSMA committee works:

to prevent material deemed damaging to the national security interest from being published in the media.

So any leaks that do emerge, must first be “approved” and “sanctioned” by the DSMA committee. As the article also shows, these covert wars often take place “alongside MI6”:

The UK’s special forces are shielded from all forms of democratic accountability. Currently they are fighting wars in at least 7 countries, often alongside MI6, who are also completely unaccountable.

Both are taxpayer funded. @markcurtis30 and me reporthttps://t.co/4G8Dpdn5eN

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) September 17, 2019

But another crucial factor is that in most of the seven countries named, the UK government also profits from selling arms to parties leading those same wars. Since 2008, UK arms export licences totalled £44bn.

Yemen

Saudi Arabia has been leading an assault on Yemen since 2015. The situation’s now the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis”. According to Curtis and Kennard:

British special forces have been secretly working in Yemen since at least 2016, while the UK’s Ministry of Defence has been covertly supporting the Saudi air campaign in the country.

In 2016, the government stated:

There are no UK Armed Forces personnel based in Yemen.

But as this article demonstrates that simply isn’t true. It notes that a 2016 report from Vice News:

based on interviews with UK officials revealed that British special forces were in Yemen. They were, in fact, seconded to MI6, which was training Yemeni troops fighting Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Curtis and Kennard detail all the evidence of further involvement of UK forces in Yemen. But UK arms exports also prop up this same war. Arms exports to Saudi Arabia are currently on hold. Yet Liz Truss has since admitted the government broke the law. It shipped £261,450 worth of equipment to Saudi Arabia despite this ruling.

And the UK government recently invited delegates from state-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to the world’s largest arms fair – Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEI).

Afghanistan

In July, a UN report found that:

more civilians were killed by Afghan and international coalition forces in Afghanistan in the first half of this year than by the Taliban and other militants

As the article shows, UKSF play a role in this:

By 2018, the SAS was reportedly fighting almost every day in Afghanistan, usually in support of Afghan commandos leading the battle against the Taliban.

It states that by mid-2019 there were still about 1,000 UK troops in Afghanistan. And, yet again, there’s further profit here for the UK government. Since 2016, UK arms exports to Afghanistan totalled over £42m.

Money, money, money

Curtis and Kennard paint a harrowing picture of the true extent of UK involvement in so many global conflicts. And in too many of these, it’s impossible to ignore the UK’s integral role in the current crises.

For example. chaos followed the NATO bombing campaign of Libya in 2011. David Cameron was instrumental in a military assault that left the country both splintered and a perfect playground for terrorists. But not only did the UK play a leading role in the bombing campaign, it also facilitated unrest in the country while Muammar Gaddafi was in power.

Similarly, the illegal invasion of Iraq caused huge devastation. It also helped unleash a wave of terror around the world that we still see today.

As Curtis noted, taxpayers pay for UKSF:

Image below is a military base we’re not allowed to know of, for a regiment we’re given no information on, that’s fighting 7 covert wars hidden from the public. Which we pay for. Good that UK is democracy otherwise SAS might just be totally out of control. https://t.co/Pk5l4FvoZl

— Mark Curtis (@markcurtis30) September 17, 2019

And yet our government still profits from death.

As Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) notes, since 2016, UK arms deals totalled:

  • Pakistan £40,665,387
  • Iraq £18,449,296
  • Somalia £1,574,771
  • Libya £284,076

Curtis and Kennard’s research is meticulous. The UK is involved in covert wars. Our government doesn’t want us to know this. Neither does it want us to know how much it rakes in from global arms deals. We can’t ignore these facts.

Featured image via Flickr – ResoluteSupportMedia

Share128Tweet80
Previous Post

Loughgall inquest could take up to six months to complete, coroner told

Next Post

Angry parent tells Johnson the NHS is being ‘destroyed’ during hospital visit

Next Post

Angry parent tells Johnson the NHS is being ‘destroyed’ during hospital visit

Mark Curtis

Historian calls out media for failing to question UK's 'ever-growing' links with repressive regime

Guy Smallman filming a drone protester

The Metropolitan police just arrested a journalist for photographing a protest

Laura Kuenssberg and Paul Mason

Laura Kuenssberg thought she'd caught out the man who confronted Boris Johnson. Paul Mason set her straight.

Writing pad with Back to school written on it

You know the school system is broken when children are put into isolation for wearing the wrong shoes

Please login to join discussion
Trump has just sparked another major national security row
Analysis

Trump just sparked another major national security row – not that he cares

by Steve Topple
15 May 2025
The far-right's latest attack on Jeremy Corbyn is its most preposterous yet - with Lee Anderson leading the charge
Analysis

The far-right’s latest attack on Jeremy Corbyn is its most preposterous yet

by James Wright
15 May 2025
Starmer Rwanda deportation plan
Analysis

Just when you thought Starmer couldn’t stoop any lower – he does this

by Ed Sykes
15 May 2025
Jewish anti-Zionists IJAN respond to police ban on protest against Israeli ambassador
Analysis

Jewish anti-Zionists IJAN respond to police ban on protest against Israeli ambassador

by Ed Sykes
15 May 2025
Social Media Activism: How Grassroots Movements Are Gaining Power Online
Lifestyle

Social Media Activism: How Grassroots Movements Are Gaining Power Online

by Nathan Spears
15 May 2025
  • Contact
  • About & FAQ
  • Get our Daily News Email
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

The Canary
PO Box 71199
LONDON
SE20 9EX

Canary Media Ltd – registered in England. Company registration number 09788095.

For guest posting, contact [email protected]

For other enquiries, contact: [email protected]

The Canary is owned and run by independent journalists and volunteers, NOT offshore billionaires.

You can write for us, or support us by making a regular or one-off donation.

© Canary Media Ltd 2024, all rights reserved | Website by Monster | Hosted by Krystal | Privacy Settings

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • UK
    • Global
    • Analysis
    • Trending
  • Editorial
  • Features
    • Features
    • Environment
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Money
    • Science
    • Business
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Sport & Gaming
  • Media
    • Video
    • Cartoons
  • Opinion

© 2023 Canary - Worker's co-op.

Before you go, have you seen...?

Trump has just sparked another major national security row
Analysis
Steve Topple

Trump just sparked another major national security row – not that he cares

The far-right's latest attack on Jeremy Corbyn is its most preposterous yet - with Lee Anderson leading the charge
Analysis
James Wright

The far-right’s latest attack on Jeremy Corbyn is its most preposterous yet

Starmer Rwanda deportation plan
Analysis
Ed Sykes

Just when you thought Starmer couldn’t stoop any lower – he does this

Jewish anti-Zionists IJAN respond to police ban on protest against Israeli ambassador
Analysis
Ed Sykes

Jewish anti-Zionists IJAN respond to police ban on protest against Israeli ambassador

ADVERTISEMENT
Lifestyle
Nathan Spears

Social Media Activism: How Grassroots Movements Are Gaining Power Online

Travel
Nathan Spears

Best Destinations In Spain For A Couples Holiday

Travel
Nathan Spears

Surviving Long Layovers: A Frequent Traveller’s Guide