Training Libyan Troops At Raf Bassingbourn.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2619482/Air-force-memorial-famous-Memphis-Belle-bomber-crew-fenced-avoid-offending-Libyans.html

This one more "in case we offend affair" is bad enough, but the more serious issue is, should we be spending British taxpayers money training foreign troops?

/// Libyan armed forces will be taught basic infantry skills as part of a two-month course starting next month at RAF Bassingbourn. ///

[scooping]

We've been doing this with other countries for a hundred years. Highly cost-effective. They buy everything from their uniforms to their weapons and helicopters from us...

[youngmafbog]

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

[douglas9401]

Look out lads, here's someone with a bit of a tan.
Run around making fools of yourselves while he's here and don't forget to look guilty all the time. Above all, avoid eye contact, they hate that.
(What a) carry on.

[THECORBYLOON]

Libya has paid £2.5 million for the training.

[anotheoldgit]

scooping

/// We've been doing this with other countries for a hundred years. Highly cost-effective. They buy everything from their uniforms to their weapons and helicopters from us... ///

Interesting that, who are these other counties we have been training in the UK for hundreds of years apart from the US that is, who train themselves at their own expense?

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// Libya has paid £2.5 million for the training. ///

Thank you for that piece of Information, can you now be good enough to provide the source?

[Svejk]

we trained idi amin. that went well for us, didn't it.

[Svejk]

seriously aog, we do a lot of military training for foreign countries. probably good business, on the whole.

[anotheoldgit]

It's worse than first thought.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/jun/02/york-st-john-university-mod

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/28/uk-training-saudi-troops

[slaney]

The original announcement last year...
"The Libyan government will pay the costs of the training."
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/libyan-armed-forces-to-be-trained-in-uk

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you for that link slaney.

[Brancaster]

And what about the offence undoubtedly caused to the people of the USA, without whose aid we would now be speaking German.

[scooping]

Anotheoldgit: Personal involvement with the longstanding relationship between the MoD and Pakistan. There have been many ties between African nations and the British military and have there have been, and continue to be, between the MoD and several Gulf states. India, too, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea...Just see who's attended Sandhurst over the past 30 years, or the RAF College or Dartmouth.

[scooping]

And Amin served in the King's African Rifles, a British Regiment and in a country ruled by us. So that can't be training people from another nation can it...

[Svejk]

er yeah, lol.