§ 7. Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received regarding the enforcement of the no-fly zone over Bosnia.
§ Mr. RifkindI have received a number of representations from hon. Members and from members of the public.
§ Mr. ButlerDoes my right hon. and learned Friend accept that although I welcome our involvement in the imposition of the no-fly zone, what we seek in Bosnia.is a no-war zone, a no-killing zone and a no-starvation zone? Bearing in mind the excellent efforts in humanitarian aid made by British men and women, will my right hon. and learned Friend continue to resist the siren calls for token military action, which has no achievable military objective, but which would be certain to destroy the humanitarian efforts?
§ Mr. RifkindWe will certainly judge any proposals for military action by the twin criteria of whether they would be likely to achieve the purpose for which they were designed and what implications they would have, as my hon. Friend rightly says, for the continuation of the humanitarian effort.
§ Mr. Menzies CampbellDoes the Secretary of State recall that after the no-fly zone was declared and before it was implemented, the Government resisted calls for implementation on the ground that to do so might put at risk British forces and the humanitarian efforts in which they were engaged? Yet shortly before Easter, the 173 Government acceded to the United Nations proposals for the implementation of the no-fly zone. Does not experience since then demonstrate that the no-fly zone could and should have been implemented much earlier, not least to show the resolve of the international community?
§ Mr. RifkindI do not agree with the hon. and learned Gentleman. The Government's reservations about enforcing the no-fly zone were a result of the fact that, until a few weeks ago, the Bosnian Serbs had made no attempt to breach it with combat aircraft. It seemed premature, therefore, and largely pointless to take such unnecessary action. When the Bosnian Serbs breached the zone on two occasions by the use of combat aircraft for bombing missions, it clearly became necessary for the United Nations to enforce its resolution and that is what the United Kingdom voted for.
§ Mr. FaberIs not there a certain irony in the fact that we now have six RAF Tornados patrolling the skies over Bosnia, presumably ready to take unilateral aggressive action at a moment's notice, while on the ground below our troops depend for their very success and continued safety on their perceived neutrality? What steps has my right hon. and learned Friend taken to ensure that there will be no potential accident involving our air force which might jeopardise the security of our troops on the ground?
§ Mr. RifkindThe Tornados that have been allocated to the enforcement of the no-fly zone are Tornado F-3s which are suitable for an air defence role and would not be used in ground attack missions. Therefore, the scenario to which my hon. Friend refers is unlikely to occur. There must, of course, always be a risk for all United Nations forces on the ground if other United Nations forces, whether British or from other countries, are carrying out missions in the air. That factor must be borne in mind through proper communications between the various United Nations units serving in Bosnia at present.