Second opinion
Sir: Like Dr Niall Ferguson (Wake war, not peace', 10 July), I am mystified at the failure of our service chiefs and politicians to seize the opportunity of acting as an enforcer of the new world order. However, I do wonder whether he is not a little over- optimistic about the capabilities of Britain's armed forces, more optimistic in fact than the army's own leadership. I do not enter this objection with any sense of satisfaction, indeed until quite recently I have always felt sympathetic and deferential towards the military. When told that the communist threat required a huge defence expenditure
I nodded respectfully. Yet when these same men solemnly assured me that the great arsenal we had amassed — at vast expense — to fight the whole of the Warsaw Pact Signatories, in any terrain, would be unable to subdue some Balkan warlords, I began to question whether our money had been well- spent.
Like Dr Ferguson, I am concerned about the public finances and would therefore like to make the following recommenda- tions.
1. Instead of a standing British army we should employ a corps of Bosnian Serb mercenaries. They are after all, by the com- mon consent of our own service chiefs, a body of fearless, determined, intrepid and invincible men, who are a match for any- thing, including our existing army, that the Western world can muster in the way of technology and expertise. They would also be able to do the job at a fraction of the cost.
2. The Government should weigh very carefully whether it is not the height of irre- sponsibility to supply the British army with more weaponry. This would almost certain- ly have the effect of inflaming any warlike situation which may develop. It would also needlessly prolong our agony in the event of outside aggression.
Dr Brendan Simms
Christ Church, Oxford
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