Letter: Why have US B-52 bombers arrived in RAF Fairford?

On Saturday 22nd August, six US Air Force B-52 bombers arrived at RAF Fairford. These are nuclear capable. Official sources say it is "a long planned training mission", but the local news site Gloucester Live describes it as "a surprise development". This is clearly a pointed message to Russia, given what's happening in Belarus.

General Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, describes the deployment thus: "B-52s are back at RAF Fairford, and will be operating across the theatre in what will be a very active deployment. Our ability to quickly respond and assure allies and partners rests upon the fact that we are able to deploy our B-52s at a moment's notice."

News reports show the recent US deployment of three B-2 stealth bombers, (also capable of carrying nuclear weapons) on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia an atoll of the Chagos Archipelago which is an 'overseas territory' of the United Kingdom. The indigenous population were expelled in 1973, so their islands could be "given" to the USA for a huge base to dominate the Southern Hemisphere.

The focus here is clearly China not Russia. Indeed the B-2s arrived on the island - which also hosts six B-52 bombers - at the same time as the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier arrived in the South China Sea.

The build up of nuclear capable bombers in two areas of high political tension is potentially catastrophic. These may well be understood as aggressive measures towards two countries that Trump has identified as strategic competitors against which he is prepared to wage war and win. Remember Trump (talking of nuclear weapons) has said, "We've got 'em, why not use 'em?" - that is his level of ignorance.

Once again Britain is being sucked into US war plans, with the potential for either deployment - from Fairford or Diego Garcia - to become part of a military attack. Serious questions must urgently be asked of government: Have they sanctioned these actions? Are US nuclear-armed sorties taking place from Fairford? And when did the British people agree to be drawn into more US wars?
Whatever the question, nuclear bombers are not the answer.

Yours sincerely.

Brian Quail

Glasgow