The British government today highlighted threats from groups in the North and al-Qaeda as it published a security strategy report.
Cyber attacks, terrorism, inter-state conflict and natural hazards are the top threats to British security, officials said today, a day before a major military review due to include deep spending cuts.
The government is seeking to convince critics that a sweeping armed forces review due tomorrow is policy driven, and not a money-saving exercise.
Britain is trying to reduce a budget deficit close to 11 per cent of national output, and at the same time retain Britain's place as strong military power in Europe and a capable ally to the United States, which it has backed in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Our strategy sets clear priorities - counter-terrorism, cyber, international military crisis, and disasters such as floods," the government said in its National Security Strategy report.
The report relegated threats from insurgencies abroad that could foster terrorist attacks in the UK - a scenario similar to the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan - to a lower, "tier two" level priority.
The document said threats could come from other states, but highlighted threats from non-state and unconventional actors, a move likely to be used to justify cuts to major military hardware purchases.
The Ministry of Defence's budget of £36.9 billion is set to be cut less than 10 per cent, way below the average of 25 per cent applied to other government departments, but the cuts are still likely to have major political, industrial and diplomatic consequences.
The National Security Strategy also highlighted nuclear proliferation as a growing danger and added that British security was vulnerable to the effects of climate change and its impact on food and water supply.
The coalition government hopes the National Security Strategy will help to convince critics that a broad military review is based on strategic thinking, not just on the need to save money.
But a parliamentary watchdog, in a scathing report, joined a chorus of critics who say the military review, the first since 1998, has been rushed and is aimed more at reducing the record budget deficit than meeting future threats.
The government is trying to slash a budget deficit while keeping Britain a strong military power in Europe and a capable ally of the United States, which it has backed in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee said in its report that, given the size of expected spending cuts, it doubted "whether the government has the capacity to deliver a (review) which is any way strategic".
Negotiations between the Defence Ministry and the Treasury have resulted in cuts of less than 10 per cent over four years.
Reuters