WE all know the much quoted truism by Ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus that 'the first casualty of war is truth', but what is equally true is that no matter how extensive government cover-ups are in time of conflict, secrets seldom, if ever, remain buried forever.
In Northern Ireland, the truth about what happened during three decades of the Troubles finally came to light after revelations relating to civilians ‘disappeared’ by the IRA and the infiltration of terror groups by British intelligence during the ‘Dirty War’.
Military officials may argue the public cannot expect to be kept fully informed of every aspect of action for security reasons, but a lack of transparency is equally dangerous - for it corrodes democracy from the inside out. Today, the Sunday Herald highlights worrying examples where that appears to be happening today. The sophistication of modern weapons means it is possible to hit targets more precisely than ever, but claims that two years of UK airstrikes in Iraq and Syria have resulted in zero casualties lack all credibility.
Meanwhile the revelation that a base in the UK has been used by the US to develop programmes for its ‘drone war’ in places such as Yemen also raises serious questions about the UK’s complicity in the controversial attacks, which are known to have killed civilians.
For every innocent person killed in a strike, there is their risk of families and friends becoming radicalised as a result. A key question is whether the actions being taken by the UK are helping or hindering the so-called 'war on terror'. It is impossible for this to be fully scrutinised and assessed if there is so much secrecy.
Millions took to the streets to protest against the Iraq War amid huge discussions over whether it was right to take military action. More than a decade on, it is far more worrying that we are being kept in the dark to such an extent that no productive debate can be had at all.
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