The UK’s 83 military interventions around the world since 1945

Britain has deployed its armed forces for combat over 80 times in 47 countries since the end of the Second World War, in episodes ranging from brutal colonial wars and covert operations to efforts to prop up favoured governments or to deter civil unrest The British military has used or threatened to use military force […]

British government ministers have been complicit in millions of deaths since 1945, so don’t be surprised that they won’t face justice over coronavirus

By Mark Curtis Declassified UK, 2 May 2020 The UK government’s failure to provide protective equipment to all health staff treating coronavirus victims prompts questions whether ministers are legally culpable for failing to prevent deaths. But UK ministers routinely act with impunity and every prime minister since 1945 has been complicit in deaths abroad. At […]

Hugh Carless, Latin America Department, FCO, to J.Cable, Planning Staff, 18 February 1974

Commenting on draft paper on “Potential problems in British foreign policy”, with heading: “New problems with Argentina if oil exploration licences are granted around the Falklands”. “This problem cannot of course be divorced from the existing problem of the Argentine claim to the Falklands… HMG’s current policy of refusing licences to all applicants is being […]

Permanent Under Secretary’s Planning Staff paper, ‘British foreign policy: Opportunities and dangers’, 1 December 1975

“North/South relations”. Developing countries “want this trade to be conducted on more favourable terms than at present and, in the last resort, this can only come about of world prosperity as a whole increases of Western consumers put their hands more deeply into one or other of their pockets… By skilful diplomacy, coupled with some […]

Argentina/Falklands: Declassified

Documents Hugh Carless, FCO, to J.Cable, Planning Staff, (click here) Foreign Office, ‘British foreign policy: Opportunities and dangers’, 1975 ‘Reagan On The Falkland/Malvinas: “Give…Maggie enough to carry on…”’ (46 documents, National Security Archive) Articles 1982 war ‘Revealed: Catalogue of failings that sank Falklands warship HMS Sheffield‘ (Guardian, 15 October 2017) ‘Israel sold weapons to Argentina […]