Britain's Secret Wars

This meticulous account lays bare in documented detail the extent of Britain's covert foreign policy supporting war, conflict and oppression around the world. These activities are well hidden and would create outrage among public opinion if they were openly admitted, hence the Chatham House formulation that 'a successful foreign policy requires a degree of secrecy and duplicity, and willingness to employ spies, engage in bribery, threaten, even use force, compromise principles, pursue clandestine, sometimes illegal, operations, and support dubious regimes.' This revealing study provides plenty of evidence for this in covert activities around the world, including Syria, Libya, Iraq, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Bangladesh. The analysis shows a brazen pursuit of power and self-interest, for instance in terms of commercial opportunities opened up to companies through the devastations of war; also the contrast between the headline stories than the real agenda, often expressed in terms of defending national security or humanitarian aid.

Proxy wars created Al Qaeda and, indirectly, ISIS. Then we have to manage the continuing fallout of these decisions. The chapter on drones is deeply disturbing, and it is clear that most use is illegal, quite apart from collateral civilian casualties. The use of tactical nuclear weapons in Fallujah was unconscionable, all the more so when it was denied despite birth defects among the local population and chronic illness among veterans. It becomes clear that Ukraine is a proxy battleground and a very dangerous one at that. Underlying much of this covert activity is the US pursuit of Full Spectrum Dominance defined as military superiority over land, sea, air, space and information by 2020. Much CIA activity, classified and unclassified, seems to be directed to this end. As long as we have a political system based on selfish national interest and power politics, covert operations are set to continue, reinforcing the war economy of arms trading and creating mutual distrust. Books like this can help inform readers and encourage them towards grassroots action, which alone holds out the prospect of a different world.