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UK 'must continue to fight wars' UK 'must continue to fight wars'
(30 minutes later)
Tony Blair will say his foreign policy is "controversial" but his approach of military intervention must continue after he has stepped down. Tony Blair has said his foreign policy is "controversial" but his approach of military intervention must continue after he has stepped down.
Mr Blair is giving a keynote lecture, in which he will argue a retreat on the "war on terror" would be a catastrophe. In a major speech, he said the war on terror may last a generation but to retreat would be a "catastrophe".
And Britain must be ready to fight wars as well as keep the peace.And Britain must be ready to fight wars as well as keep the peace.
He will also acknowledge the army was doing more overseas than planned and there were "real problems" with accommodation for military families. He also admitted the army was doing more overseas than planned and there were "real problems" with accommodation for military families.
The prime minister, who has begun his speech at a naval base in Plymouth, is expected to say Britain faces a choice about its future defence needs. The prime minister said Britain and the world faced a "new and different" security challenge following 11 September 2001.
America is spending half a trillion dollars a year - 10 times what we spend Lord Garden Analysis: UK and US split? Bush plan attacked Where are UK troops? My choice is for armed forces that are prepared to engage in this difficult, tough, challenging campaign, to be war fighters as well as peacekeepers Tony Blair Analysis: UK and US split? Bush plan attacked Where are UK troops?
But he will say: "My choice is for armed forces that are prepared to engage in this difficult, tough, challenging campaign, to be war fighters as well as peacekeepers. And Britain had to choose whether it wanted to be in the front line of the global fight against terrorism, or retreat to a peacekeeping role.
He said he wanted "a British foreign policy that keeps our American alliance strong" and "for us as a nation to be as willing to fight terrorism and pay the cost of that fight wherever it may be". "My choice is for armed forces that are prepared to engage in this difficult, tough, challenging campaign, to be war fighters as well as peacekeepers," he told an audience of academics and military commanders in Plymouth.
He said he wanted to see "a British foreign policy that keeps our American alliance strong" and "for us as a nation to be as willing to fight terrorism and pay the cost of that fight wherever it may be".
But he also acknowledged the strain Britain's armed forces were under fighting twin campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It is true that operational commitments are at a higher level than originally planned. Service personnel are working harder and for longer than intended," he said.
And although he believed the condition of service accommodation had been "exaggerated," he said more needed to be done to improve it.
"The extraordinary job that servicemen do needs to be reflected in the quality of accommodation provided for them and their families, at home or abroad," said Mr Blair.
He denied being the sort of "gung-ho" leader who "launch their nations into ill-advised adventures without a thought for the consequences", saying he had tried to make the "right decision".
'Past glories'
He said defence spending would have to increase if Britain followed the course and the country would have to accept new realities.
"On the part of the military, they need to accept that in a volunteer armed force, conflict and therefore casualty may be part of what they are called upon to face.
"On the part of the public, they need to be prepared for the long as well as the short campaign, to see our participation alongside allies in such conflict not as an atavistic, misguided attempt to recapture past glories, but as a necessary engagement in order for us to protect our security and advance our interests and values in the modern world."
The prime minister's speech comes a day after the US announced it was sending more than 20,000 extra troops to Iraq.The prime minister's speech comes a day after the US announced it was sending more than 20,000 extra troops to Iraq.
Britain has said it will withdraw "thousands" of troops from Iraq in the coming months, amid claims the armed services are being "overstretched" by fighting two campaigns, in Iraq and Afghanistan.Britain has said it will withdraw "thousands" of troops from Iraq in the coming months, amid claims the armed services are being "overstretched" by fighting two campaigns, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Garden, a former assistant chief of defence staff, told the BBC the UK would have to pay much more of its national income if it was to continue the current level of armed activities.
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"If you want to be able to do everything, be a mini-America, so you can do high-intensity conflict, go everywhere where there are international problems, you really need to scale up by quite a large amount," he told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"I don't think that we can afford to. America is spending half a trillion dollars a year - 10 times what we spend. They spend more on research than we spend on defence."
'Additional strains'
He said the forces were "truly overstretched", something which could not be fixed quickly.
In November, a National Audit Office report warned that the UK's armed forces were 5,170 under strength and had been operating at or above planned-for levels since 2001.
It said the strain of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan at the same time, was one reason for shortages.
The Ministry of Defence acknowledged "additional strains" on staff, but denied forces were overstretched.
Mr Blair is not expected to make any announcement about the withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq, but has said he hopes to make a statement in the coming months.