§ 11. Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the British military contribution to the Central Treaty Organisation in the light of recent developments in the Gulf; and whether he is proposing to review this contribution.
§ Mr. MulleyMember countries do not declare forces to CENTO, but have participated in a programme of military exercises and conferences. In view of the decision of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to withdraw from CENTO the organisation must be considered to be at an end. The exercises which had already been arranged for the remainder of the year will not, therefore, take place.
§ Mr. NewensDoes not the rapidity of the collapse of CENTO demonstrate the stupidity of basing our military alliance policies on undemocratic regimes which are completely rejected by many of their peoples when they have an opportunity to assert their rights? Is not there a lesson for us to learn, which we should apply to the rest of the Gulf area?
§ Mr. MulleyCENTO served a useful purpose in co-ordinating policies in this area for a number of years, but I agree that it would now be profitless to seek to perpetuate such an alliance.
§ Mr. AmeryWill the Secretary of State recognise what incontinent folly it was for previous Labour Governments to decide to withdraw from Aden and the Gulf? Is he aware that the United States is at last awaking from its post-Vietnamese torpor and is proposing to send some presence to the area? Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that we, as America's ally are alongside the United States, even if only on a small scale?
§ Mr. MulleyBecause of our size and resources, I do not accept that it was 1294 wrong for Britain to withdraw from the posture of a world Power. That was the rationale in successive defence reviews which concentrated our effort on the defence of this country and on support of the NATO Alliance. It would be wrong to think that we could become a world Power of the kind that the right hon. Member has in mind.