UK ex-PM Johnson reveals ‘nuts’ 2021 plan to raid Dutch Covid vaccine factory amid EU row
According to Johnson, the deputy chief of Britain’s defence staff at the time, Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers — who has since retired from the military — told him it would not be possible to carry out the mission undetected. — Reuters pic
Sunday, 29 Sep 2024 3:08 PM MYT
LONDON, Sept 29 — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he ordered military chiefs to plan a raid on a Dutch factory in March 2021 to secure five million Covid vaccines that the European Union had threatened to bar from being exported to Britain.
Johnson said the deputy chief of Britain’s defence staff at the time, Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, had told him a raid using small boats to cross the Channel and navigate Dutch canals would be possible — but warned him of diplomatic repercussions.
According to Johnson, Chalmers — who has since retired from the military — told him it would not be possible to carry out the mission undetected and that “if we are detected we will have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally”.
“I secretly agreed with what they all thought but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts,” Johnson said in an extract from his memoirs that was published in yesterday’s Daily Mail newspaper.
Britain’s defence ministry had no immediate comment on the account.
A spokesperson for Chalmers — who now serves as chair of the government’s committee on standards in public life — said he was unable to comment on confidential security discussions.
The Covid vaccines under dispute were developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca but doses were manufactured by subcontractors in the Netherlands and Britain.
In March 2021, the vaccines were widely used in Britain but doses made at the Dutch plant were still pending EU approval.
Both Britain and the EU had contracts with AstraZeneca for vaccines and the EU sought to hold back finished vaccines at the Dutch plant for its own future use.
Johnson — who won election in December 2019 on a promise to conclude drawn-out talks to leave the EU — said he believed EU officials were acting under pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron.
“After two months of futile negotiation I had come to the conclusion that the EU was treating us with malice and with spite ... because we were vaccinating our population much faster than they were,” said Johnson, who was forced out of office in 2022 following scandals including breaches of Covid lockdown rules. — Reuters
Sunday, 29 Sep 2024 3:08 PM MYT
LONDON, Sept 29 — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he ordered military chiefs to plan a raid on a Dutch factory in March 2021 to secure five million Covid vaccines that the European Union had threatened to bar from being exported to Britain.
Johnson said the deputy chief of Britain’s defence staff at the time, Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, had told him a raid using small boats to cross the Channel and navigate Dutch canals would be possible — but warned him of diplomatic repercussions.
According to Johnson, Chalmers — who has since retired from the military — told him it would not be possible to carry out the mission undetected and that “if we are detected we will have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally”.
“I secretly agreed with what they all thought but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts,” Johnson said in an extract from his memoirs that was published in yesterday’s Daily Mail newspaper.
Britain’s defence ministry had no immediate comment on the account.
A spokesperson for Chalmers — who now serves as chair of the government’s committee on standards in public life — said he was unable to comment on confidential security discussions.
The Covid vaccines under dispute were developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca but doses were manufactured by subcontractors in the Netherlands and Britain.
In March 2021, the vaccines were widely used in Britain but doses made at the Dutch plant were still pending EU approval.
Both Britain and the EU had contracts with AstraZeneca for vaccines and the EU sought to hold back finished vaccines at the Dutch plant for its own future use.
Johnson — who won election in December 2019 on a promise to conclude drawn-out talks to leave the EU — said he believed EU officials were acting under pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron.
“After two months of futile negotiation I had come to the conclusion that the EU was treating us with malice and with spite ... because we were vaccinating our population much faster than they were,” said Johnson, who was forced out of office in 2022 following scandals including breaches of Covid lockdown rules. — Reuters
***
kt asks:
How the frigg did such a clown get to be PM UK???
When an issue is considered a national emergency "nothing is off the table".
ReplyDeleteOf course, the practicality has to be carefully considered, in this case not possible.
Wakakakaka…
DeleteJust say it lah - when the issue suits u, everything goes. Including selling yr own mother!
So, yr mfering national emergency is "nothing is off the table".
DeleteEven amongst close allies!
So so selective in creating reason & logic to back yr evil deed.
道德和理论基础的坍塌 from a mfering hypocrite.
https://x.com/JimmyFalk_55/status/1840512100843524229?s=19
ReplyDeleteBiolab Fire...Conyers, Georgia
https://x.com/In2ThinAir/status/1840480661062230103?s=19
🚨#BREAKING EXPLOSION At 'Bio lab in Conyers' Georgia SEEN from SPACE!
💥💥💥💥
A massive explosion has taken place at a BIO LAB in Conyers Georgia.
Are you surprised???
#explosion #Georgia #conyers
https://x.com/In2ThinAir/status/1840409505735078247?s=19
🚨 Hurricane HELENE Devastation!
Is it STARTING to make sense yet?
This storm went right where they wanted it to go!
*Leave the world behind.
*Tesla car batteries blowing up from Salt Water!
*Roads and bridges being cut off
*ZERO Government help as of yet!
#HurricaneHelene #ashevilleflooding
2 more hurricanes appearing in the Atlantic. Can the hurricane change the election result? mf
We will find out.
ReplyDelete~~~~~
https://t.me/WeTheMedia/108610?single
🇺🇸 The flooding in North Carolina has a potential to throw the semiconductor and tech markets into chaos!
The town of Spruce Pine is stranded as the major roads linking it to the rest of North Carolina and the US are flooded. The Spruce Pine Mining District in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina, produces mica, kaolin, quartz and feldspar.Spruce Pine district is one of the largest suppliers of high-purity quartz, which is used in the manufacture of silicon for integrated circuits.
The modern economy rests on a single road in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The road runs to the two mines that is the sole supplier of the quartz required to make the crucibles needed to refine silicon wafers.
@CIG_telegram
Sharing as it is being discovered. Just notable, no comment from my side.
Delete~~~~~
https://x.com/DrC_IET17/status/1840880261745070246?s=19
Oh sh** 😳
(Posted 6 years ago)
Who here believes in coincidences ?
Private assessment...do on the ground current situation support that assessment?
Delete~~~~~
https://t.me/professor_patriot_official/25994
I served in a unit 12 years ago that was deployable anywhere in the world within 96 hours WITH armor and artillery.
And here we are more than 96 hours later and… crickets.
It has now bridged from human tragedy to political exploitation.
Ripping NC away from Trump on these grounds would require him to sweep PA, MI, and WI and carry one of GA/AZ to get over 270.
They know it. Our side lacks the guts to say it. So I will.