British Army Chief Says Russia Is A Far Greater Threat Than ISIS

Britain’s new chief of the General Staff says Moscow is now a greater threat than ISIS.

The new Army chief Gen. Mark Carleton-Smith warns that Russia is now “indisputably” a greater threat to the security of Britain and her allies than Islamist extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State

His comments come as ISIS is on the retreat in the Middle East and the mantra of ‘evil Russia’ is making a comeback in the hearts and minds of British strategists.

RT reports: Apart from posing a conventional military threat, he also believes that Moscow is seeking to exploit Western vulnerabilities in cyberspace and in space.

Moscow has demonstrated that it is “prepared to use military force to secure and expand its own national interests,” he told the Telegraph. Head-chopping Islamists apparently pale in comparison.

Carleton-Smith was speaking after visiting UK soldiers deployed to the Baltic country of Estonia, where ‘Russia scare’proponents have also been known to raise a few eyebrows.  The general provided some clues as to why the so-called “Russia threat” has risen back to the top. “The physical manifestation of the Islamist threat has diminished with the complete destruction of the geography of the so-called Caliphate,” he said, recommending that the London and its allies focus their attention on Russia.

Carleton-Smith, who led the 22nd SAS regiment during the Western-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, has outlined what a “conventional military response” to Moscow would be – “the capabilities and coherence of the NATO alliance.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov fired back on Saturday, saying:“That’s the worldview of a country that has spelt out its right to use force arbitrarily regardless of UN Security Council resolutions.”

In fact, some would argue that fanning fears over ‘evil Russia’ are instrumental in explaining or justifying increased defense spending. It wouldn’t be the first time the UK establishment has done so.