British Special Forces asked to gear up for Mumbai-like attacks

Britain must strengthen its elite Special Forces to deal with a Mumbai-style terrorist attack, according to a sweeping independent review of British national security published Tuesday.

The report of a commission chaired by former defence minister George Robinson and former leader of the Liberal Democrats party Paddy Ashdown said Special Forces should be increased "to deal with a Mumbai-style attack in the UK".

Britain's Special Forces, described as the elite of the British Army, are made up of the Special Air Service (SAS) commandoes, the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) and the 18 UKSF Signals Regiment.

The commission, set by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a think-tank, also said Britain's defence system needs to be overhauled to reflect the “post 9/11 and post recession world”, calling for investment in cyber-warfare.

It added that it was “delusional” for Britain to believe that it can continue to rely on US military protection as an alternative to greater European defence cooperation.

“There will be a future crisis that leaves us vulnerable to shifting American interests and opinion, relative US decline and European disunity and weakness, when Nato's political glue fails to hold and Europe is left more exposed than at any time since the Second World War,” it warned in its report.

"In the post 9/11, post financial crisis world, we must be smarter and more ruthless in targeting national resources at the real security risks," said Robertson, former secretary-general of Nato.

"When it comes to security, national self-reliance is a dangerous fantasy. European cooperation is the only viable way forward in many areas. We need to make it work," he added.

Last updated on Jun 30^th, 2009 at 20:07 pm IST--IANS