§ 2.40 p.m.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British personnel and what military equipment have been provided to the Sultan of Oman's armed forces and how far the RAF at Salalah are also participating in the war against "the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arab Gulf".
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, there are currently 169 British Servicemen on loan to the Sultan of Oman's armed forces. It is not the usual practice of Her Majesty's Government to comment 370 on the provision of military equipment to another country. RAF detachments help the Sultanate to operate the airfield at Salalah and assist in its defence.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is there not a great danger that Oman will become a second Vietnam, with the British Government adopting the role of America? Why should a Socialist Government be supporting the Sheikhs and Sultans of the Gulf area against the inevitable revolt of its people against dictatorial régimes, and will Her Majesty's Government reconsider this policy as soon as possible?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, my noble friend seems to be under the misapprehension that every people's democracy is a friend to this country and every monarchy an enemy. This is a view which I do not share.
§ Lord HARVEY of PRESTBURYMy Lords, does the noble Lord recall that last week two British officers serving in that area were unfortunate enough to lose their lives? Can the Minister say what arrangements will be made for the dependants of those officers—their widows and children—and whether there is any arrangement between our Government and theirs?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, that is another question, but I would assume that if those officers were still part of Her Majesty's Forces they would be treated as casualties, in the same way as if they had been serving in any other field of operations. However, I will write to the noble Lord with the necessary information.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, with reference to the Minister's reply to my question, may I ask this supplementary? While it is quite true that one cannot endorse every rebellion against dictatorial régimes—and I do not do so in this case—has not history shown that there will inevitably be great movements of the peoples of the Middle East for democracy against dictatorial dictatorships such as those which, unfortunately, our Government are supporting?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, if the régime in South Yemen, which is behind the People's Front for the Liberation of Oman, were a democracy that 371 might be true. But, since it is a dictatorship of a rather unpleasant kind, I do not necessarily believe it.
§ Lord SLATERMy Lords, as one who has visited the Trucial States, is my noble friend rather surprised by the statement that this might be a second Vietnam? Is it not true to say that at one time we had close connections with all the States in the Trucial area, such as Bahrein and Qatar, and left a good impression and kindly friendship with those States behind us?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I am in complete agreement with my noble friend, and that is particularly true of the State of Oman.
§ The Earl of ONSLOWMy Lords, could the Minister give us some information on the attitude of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman—where I have myself been—and also to the People's Republic of South Yemen?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, that is another question, but I assume that they are friendly towards the Sultanate.
§ Lord BLYTONMy Lords, in the context of the Question, can the Minister say whether 169 British soldiers could quell any uprising?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, first of all, the Sultan's forces are becoming increasingly efficient; and, secondly, we are not alone in that country, which is the reason why it will not develop into another Vietnam. The Sultan is receiving help from Iran, Abu Dhabi and Jordan, so that we are not alone in helping to combat the insurrection raised by the People's Front.
§ Lord CLIFFORD of CHUDLEIGHMy Lords, as one who has actually been in Muscat and Oman, may I ask whether it is not a fact that the dissident forces are completely and utterly under the control of Moscow? So is it not time that the Minister instructed his noble friend in the importance of our oil supplies, at least in the near future if not in the long term?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I have sympathy with that comment.
§ Lord BROCKWAYMy Lords, may I ask the Minister whether it is not a fact that our Servicemen are acting as officers for the regiments of the Sultan? Why should the United Kingdom, in its present condition, seek to be a policing authority in this area?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, first of all, we are not a policing authority. We are assisting a friendly Power and it is in our vital interest that the oil-producing States should not be disrupted by Communist subversion.