Concern Over British Review of Military Base In Belize
British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB)
Belizean.com – There is some concern in Belize this week over a British review of all military bases overseas including Belize. On 29 June Lord Michael Aschroft as reported by the Lords Hansard asked in the House of Lords, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the plans for the military base in Belize; and whether Kenya is being considered as an alternative.”
In response, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence Lord Astor of Hever stated that “The Ministry of Defence is facing significant financial pressures and we must, therefore, focus our resources on our key areas. All activities, including our military basing overseas, will be reviewed as part of the ongoing Strategic Defence and Security Review.
According to a report in a local newspaper, Major Stephen Swan, a representative for the British Army Training Support Unit (BATSUB) in Belize, stated that in about six weeks, the U.K. Government will begin to look at all overseas bases, including the training bases in Brunei, Kenya, Canada, and Belize. The only military posting that will be exempt from the review, said Swan, is Afghanistan.
Swan said that the base in Belize began as an operational peace-keeping base because of the conflict with Guatemala over Belizean territory. BATSUB was established on 1st Oct, 1994, on the demise of British Forces Belize, to support Land Command exercises. It is primarily used to train British troops in jungle operations and tactics. The previous defense review was carried out a decade ago and the current exercise is part of the new British government’s cost-cutting measures.
