HC Deb 16 May 1966 vol 728 cc918-20
53. Mr. Fisher

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proposals he has for dealing with the increasing terrorist attacks in Aden.

Mr. M. Stewart

The real remedy lies in the hands of those outside South Arabia who support and encourage these outrages. For ourselves, we shall continue to make the best possible use of the resources and organisation at our disposal and the methods employable within the limitations imposed upon us by our own standards of humanity and justice.

Mr. Fisher

In view of the fact that these increasing terrorist attacks, organised from Egypt and the Yemen, are at least in part due to the announcement by Her Majesty's Government of their decision to abandon the Aden base in 1968, would the right hon. Gentleman acknowledge that our undoubted responsibility is to safeguard the lives of British Service men and their families, and, indeed, all loyal Arab civilians, which we have so far totally failed to honour; and will he tell the House what he proposes to do about it?

Mr. Stewart

I stated in my original Answer what we are doing and shall do about this. I do not at all accept the chain of cause and effect which the hon. Gentleman draws. There is, unhappily, a long story of terrorism in Aden, going back well before the present Government took office. There is no doubt, of course, of our responsibility, which we are fulfilling to the best of our power, to protect both our Service men and civilians.

Mr. Shinwell

If the terrorist attacks in Aden, which have gone on for far too long, are attributable to external elements, and if we cannot be expected to go to war with those external elements, would it not be wise for us to get out of Aden as quickly as possible?

Mr. Stewart

My right hon. Friend is aware of Government policy on this matter. We want to see the emergence of a form of Government for an independent South Arabia which, we trust, will bring an end to these outrages.

Lord Balniel

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the reports are correct that the Federal Government have accepted the United Nations Resolution on Aden, and does this mean an ending of the state of emergency? As there is every indication that the National Liberation Front, far from diminishing acts of terrorism, is likely to increase those acts, in such circumstances can the right hon. Gentleman really give an assurance that the lives of British Service men in Aden will be fully protected?

Mr. Stewart

I certainly can give the assurance that we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the people for whom we are responsible from terrorism. For the rest of the noble Lord's question, I ask him to await the statement which I shall be making at the end of Question Time.

Mr. Hugh Fraser

The right hon. Gentleman must surely agree that in the last few months, since the announcement of the intention of Her Majesty's Government in this matter, the number of terrorist attacks has gone up in an unprecedented way. Would he not agree that the chief reason for this is that many Arabs who before were uncertain about things, now believe that the Federation will fail because we are unable to give adequate support and that those Arabs who were sitting on the fence have now come down on the hostile side?

Mr. Stewart

I do not think the facts bear out that point of view. If one looks at the whole record of terrorism one finds that the numbers of terrorist attacks in each month or each period have varied. There has been an increase recently. I do not think it can be maintained that the pursuit of a different policy by Her Majesty's Government would have brought about the situation which we all desire.