John Hutton, the new Defence Secretary has started off on a bad note, he wants a military alliance that has the European nations in it. A European Army.What he seems to have missed is that there is already an alliance that has the European nations in it, it's called NATO. And funnily enough, it tends to be all the non-European nations (with the exception of the UK) that are putting in the bulk of the work.
What a biff!
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NATO forces, with the exception of UK and US, seem to be able to pick and choose where they send forces and attach a range of conditions, from not wanting to fight in war zones, to refusing to fight at night.
A European army would not have the same restrictions and the Germans and French would have to follow orders and get deployed where they are required, not where they fancy going.
My only concern is who would give them their orders? Would it require unanimity from all national governments, or would an un-elected and un-accountable EU commissioner be able to send British troops wherever he/she felt best. In essence this would turn the EU into a military dictatorship! Perhaps we are best off with the current voluntary system until we have democracy in the EU.
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