Atlantic Council VP and Brent Scowcroft Center Director Barry Pavel is quoted in the Telegraph on former Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ criticism of UK defense spending cuts:
Barry Pavel, a former senior defence official who worked closely with Mr Gates, said while Britain and the US would remain allies the bond would be weakened if British forces were unable to participate in certain conflicts because of cuts.
“There’s nothing like sharing risks as well as responsibilities. If you don’t have troops next to ours, taking the same risks, then it’s not a full meaningful alliance,” he told The Telegraph.
Mr Pavel, now a director at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that Mr Gates had likely focused on aircraft carriers because they were a “particularly valuable tool” for projecting power without relying on airbases in other countries.