THE Ministry of Defence is drawing up emergency cuts including the scrapping of the Officer Training Corps (OTC) and the withdrawal of troops from Cyprus.
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Withdrawal of forces from Cyprus, where 3,000 British troops are based, would be controversial. Britain’s “sovereign base areas”, which cost the MoD about £300m a year, were created when the island gained independence in 1960.
Cyprus is used by British troops as a forward base, with a battalion of infantry held there as reinforcements for Afghanistan, and troops returning from the front line are taken there for rest and recuperation between operations.
Officials believe about £100m could be saved if most of the troops are moved back to the UK. “The practice of using Cyprus is long-standing, but no one has stood back and asked whether it is still a good idea,” a defence source said. “Many soldiers don’t regard Cyprus as a jolly, but would rather be back home if not on the front line.”
The RAF base at Akrotiri and Britain’s electronic listening base at Ayios Nikolaos will be retained.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6999920.ece
