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{{Short description|British Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
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{{About|the twenty-first century colonel|other people|Richard Kemp (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = '''[[Colonel]]'''
|name = Richard Kemp<br />{{post-nominals|MBE|CBE}}
|image = afghan 082.jpg
|name = Richard Kemp
|honorific_suffix = '''{{post-nominals|CBE}}'''
|caption = Richard Kemp
|image = afghan 082.jpg
|birth_name=Richard Justin Kemp
|caption = Richard Kemp, pictured here in 2003.
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1959|4|14}}
|birth_name =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1959|4|14}}
|death_date =
|death_date =
|birth_place = Maldon, Essex
|birth_place = [[Maldon]], [[Essex]], England
|rank = [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]]
|death_place =
|commands =
|rank = [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]]
|commands =
|unit = [[Royal Anglian Regiment]]
|unit = [[Royal Anglian Regiment]]
|nickname =
|family =Lucy Clare Kemp & Anna Jane Louise Kemp
|allegiance = {{UK}}
|nickname =
|allegiance = {{UK}}
|branch = {{Army|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears = 1977−2006
|branch = [[British Army]]
|servicenumber = 505991<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=53653|page=6165|date=25 April 1994|supp=y}}</ref>
|serviceyears = 1977–2006
|battles = [[Operation Banner]]<br/>[[Gulf War]]<br/>[[Bosnian War]]<br/>[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]]<br/>[[Iraq War]]
|battles = [[Operation Banner]]<br />[[Gulf War]]<br />[[Bosnian War]]<br />[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]]<br />[[Iraq War]]
|laterwork =
|laterwork =
|awards = [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Queen's Commendation for Bravery]]
|awards = [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br />[[Queen's Commendation for Bravery]]
}}
}}
[[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] '''Richard Justin Kemp''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|sep=,|size=100%}} (born 14 April 1959) is a retired [[British Army]] officer who served from 1977 to 2006. Kemp was an infantry battalion commanding officer. Among his assignments were the command of Operation Fingal in Afghanistan from July to November 2003. After retiring Kemp co-wrote ''Attack State Red'' with [[Chris Hughes (journalist)|Chris Hughes]], an account of the 2007 Afghanistan campaign undertaken by the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]], documenting their initial deployment.


Kemp has spoken on a range of social and political issues, including the British armed forces, the Middle East, and the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-36382357/eu-referendum-veterans-for-britain-on-why-uk-defence|title=EU 'draws money from Nato'|work=[[BBC News]]|date=25 May 2016|accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref>
[[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] '''Richard Justin Kemp''' [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born 14 April 1959) is a retired [[British Army]] officer who served from 1977 to 2006. He was Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo031103/debtext/31103-01.htm |title=Defence Questions, 3 Nov 2003 : Column 515 |work=[[Hansard]]|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=3 November 2003 |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> an infantry battalion Commanding Officer, worked for the [[Joint Intelligence Committee (United Kingdom)|Joint Intelligence Committee]] and [[Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms|COBR]] and completed 14 operational tours of duty around the globe.


He is the head of the UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS), the UK branch of AWIS, an Israeli organisation managed by the [[Israel Defense Forces]] and headed by General [[Yoram Yair]].<ref>https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/bbc-newsnight-failed-declare-richard-kemp-link-idf-israel-army-gaza-palestine/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
After retiring from the army, Kemp turned to writing. His first book, ''Attack State Red'' is an account of the 2007 campaign undertaken by the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]], documenting their initial deployment and trials in Afghanistan. ''Attack State Red'' was listed as a bestseller in ''[[The Sunday Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4304959.ece |title=Sunday Times Bestseller List |date=19 September 2009 |publisher=The Sunday Times |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref> two weeks after initial publication.


== Early life and military career ==
== Early life and military career ==
Richard Kemp was educated at [[Colchester Royal Grammar School]]. He then served as a soldier and officer in the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] from 1977 to 2006. He started his training as an infantry soldier in 1977 at [[Bassingbourn Barracks]], [[Cambridgeshire]]. The following year he entered the [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]] and was commissioned as [[second lieutenant]] on the [[General List]] on 5 August 1978.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47655|supp=yes|startpage=11765|endpage=11766|date=2 October 1978|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> He was posted back to the Royal Anglian Regiment on 3 March 1979,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47830|supp=yes|startpage=5681|date=30 April 1979|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> his first regimental appointment was as a platoon commander with the 3rd [[Battalion]], based in Palace Barracks, [[Belfast]]. After leaving Belfast he subsequently saw service around the world, including Germany, Kenya and Cyprus. Throughout his military career Kemp completed seven tours on [[Operation Banner]] in Northern Ireland, including West Belfast, South Armagh, Derry City and County Londonderry; and a Spearhead tour to Armagh. He was promoted [[first lieutenant|lieutenant]] on 5 August 1980,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48294|supp=yes|startpage=12372|date=1 September 1980|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> and [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] on 5 August 1985.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50032|supp=yes|startpage=2001|date=11 February 1985|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> He later became an instructor at Bassingbourn before a posting to the 2nd Battalion as the second in charge (2IC) of a Company, Milan Platoon Commander, and then Battle Group Operations Officer, serving across the world including a tour as part of [[UNFICYP]] in Cyprus.
Kemp was educated at [[Colchester Royal Grammar School]] before serving as a soldier and officer in the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] from 1977 to 2006. Having trained as an infantry soldier in 1977 at [[Bassingbourn Barracks]], [[Cambridgeshire]], he attended the [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]] and was commissioned as [[second lieutenant]] on the [[General List]] on 5 August 1978.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47655|supp=y|pages=11765–11766|date=2 October 1978}}</ref> Posted back to the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1979,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47830|supp=y|page=5681|date=30 April 1979}}</ref> Kemp was appointed as a platoon commander with the 3rd [[Battalion]], based in Palace Barracks, [[Belfast]].


During his military career Kemp completed seven deployments on [[Operation Banner]] in Northern Ireland. He was promoted to the rank of [[first lieutenant|lieutenant]] in 1980<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48294|supp=y|page=12372|date=1 September 1980}}</ref> and [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] in 1985.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50032|supp=y|page=2001|date=11 February 1985}}</ref> He later became a training instructor at Bassingbourn before a posting to the 2nd Battalion as the second in command of a company, Milan Platoon commander, and then battle group operations officer, serving in several locations across the world, including a tour as part of [[UNFICYP]] in Cyprus.[[File:RUC, Crois.jpg|thumb|left|Crossmaglen Security Forces Base, South Armagh, Northern Ireland]]
Kemp spent much of his early career working in mechanized and armoured infantry, including command of a Warrior company and command of the Armoured Infantry Training and Advisory Team covering British military units in Germany and the UK. He wrote the military operations manual, 'Armoured Infantry Company Group Tactics', which remains in use today forming a part of British [[Military doctrine]].
As a captain in the Royal Anglian Regiment, Kemp took part in the first [[Gulf War]] in 1990–91, commanding the Tactical Headquarters of [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]],<ref>{{cite book |title=In the Eye of the Storm |first=Patrick|last=Cordingley|author-link=Patrick Cordingley|publisher=[[Hodder & Stoughton]]|date=1 August 1996|isbn=978-0340682456
[[File:RUC,Crois.jpg|thumb|left|Crossmaglen Security Forces Base, South Armagh, Northern Ireland]]
}}</ref> and was promoted to the rank of [[major (United Kingdom)|Major]] in 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52691|supp=y|pages=16034–16035|date=21 October 1991}}</ref>
As a captain in the Royal Anglian Regiment he took part in the first [[Gulf War]], in 1990–91, commanding Brigadier Patrick Cordingley's [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]] Tactical Headquarters.<ref>{{cite book |title=In the Eye of the Storm |first=Patrick |last=Cordingley |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |year=1996}}</ref> He was promoted [[major (United Kingdom)|major]] on 30 September 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52691|supp=yes|startpage=16034|endpage=16035|date=21 October 1991|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> In the late 1990s, he devised a new system for training [[Warrior AFV]] crews in gunnery combined with tactical movement, utilising standard armour ranges. The system was a development of US armoured infantry training techniques, and was subsequently adopted by elements of the [[Royal Armoured Corps]].


Following tours with the headquarters of the [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]], at Camberley Staff College and in Headquarters Northern Ireland, he returned to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment as Point Company Commander, leading the company in Bosnia, Germany and Canada. In Bosnia, he served on operations with the United Nations ([[UNPROFOR]]). He then took over the Armoured Infantry Training and Advisory Team based at [[Hohne]] and [[Sennelager]], and held a [[Staff (military)|staff appointment]] in the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]. He was promoted [[Lieutenant-Colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-colonel]] on 30 June 1997,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54827|supp=yes|startpage=7831|endpage=7832|date=7 July 1997|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> and commanded the 1st [[Battalion]], Royal Anglian Regiment in Oakington and Londonderry from 1998 to 2000. After this command, he was appointed Commander of the Operational Training and Advisory Group and then spent six months as Counter Terrorism and Security Advisor to the Government of [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]].
Following tours with the [[7th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Armoured Brigade]] and in Headquarters Northern Ireland, he returned to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment as Point Company Commander, leading the company in Bosnia, Germany and Canada.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} In Bosnia, he served on operations with the United Nations ([[UNPROFOR]]).{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} He then took over the Armoured Infantry Training and Advisory Team based at [[Hohne]] and [[Sennelager]], and held a [[Staff (military)|staff appointment]] in the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}


Kemp was promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant-Colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-colonel]] in 1997<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54827|supp=y|pages=7831–7832|date=7 July 1997}}</ref> and commanded the 1st [[Battalion]] of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Oakington and [[Derry]] from 1998 to 2000. After this command, he was appointed commander of the Operational Training and Advisory Group and then spent six months as Counter Terrorism and Security Advisor to the Government of [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}[[File:Anglians Helmand 1.JPG|thumb|right|Royal Anglian machine-gunners, Helmand, 2007]]
=== Cabinet Office ===
Kemp was attached to the [[Cabinet Office]] from 2001 to 2006,{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} during which time he was briefly Commander of Operation Fingal in Afghanistan (between July and November 2003) with approximately 300 soldiers under his command.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/col_richard_kemps_commands_in_af#incoming-1095929|title=Col Richard Kemp's command(s) in Afghanistan - a Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence|date=13 December 2017|work=[[WhatDoTheyKnow]]|access-date=15 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561507/Call-for-second-Iraq-medal-clasp.html|title=Call for Second Iraq Medal clasp|last=Harding|first=Thomas|date=28 August 2007|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|accessdate=23 August 2009}}{{subscription required}}</ref> At the Cabinet Office he worked for the [[Joint Intelligence Committee (United Kingdom)|Joint Intelligence Committee]] and the national crisis management group, [[Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms|COBRA]],{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} during the period of the [[2005 London bombings]] and a series of kidnappings of British nationals in Iraq and Afghanistan. His responsibilities included Iraq,{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} and he made several visits to Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul. He was promoted to the rank of colonel on 30 June 2004<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57351|supp=y|page=8719|date=13 July 2004}}</ref> and retired from the army on 30 March 2006.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57945|supp=y|page=4707|date=4 April 2006}}</ref>


After leaving the army, Kemp co-authored the book ''Attack State Red'' with [[Chris Hughes (journalist)|Chris Hughes]], a journalist with the ''[[Daily Mirror]].'' It describes the deployment of the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] in [[Helmand Province]], [[Afghanistan]], in 2007 as a part of [[Operation Herrick]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Attack State Red|first1=Richard|last1=Kemp|first2=Chris|last2=Hughes|publisher=[[Penguin Books|Penguin]]|date=1 August 2009|isbn=978-0-141-92436-6|location=London}}</ref> The title of the book comes from the British military standing operating procedures (SOPs) for the alert state of a base referring to the likelihood of attack. The book was published in September 2009 by [[Penguin Books]].
Kemp was attached to the [[Cabinet Office]] from 2001–2006, with a six-month posting to Afghanistan in 2003. At the Cabinet Office he worked for the [[Joint Intelligence Committee (United Kingdom)|Joint Intelligence Committee]] and the national crisis management group, [[Cabinet Office Briefing Room|COBR]], during the period of the [[2005 London bombings]] and a series of high-profile kidnappings of British nationals in Iraq and Afghanistan. While working at the Cabinet Office his responsibilities included Iraq, and he made several visits to Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul. He was involved in devising and developing government strategies and policies on counter terrorism. He was promoted colonel on 30 June 2004,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57351|supp=yes|startpage=8719|date=13 July 2004|accessdate=29 December 2009}}</ref> and retired from the army on 30 March 2006.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57945|supp=yes|startpage=4707|date=4 April 2006|accessdate=15December 2009}}</ref>


=== Afghanistan ===
== Politics ==
Kemp has repeatedly spoken out against the investigation and prosecution of British soldiers for suspected criminal acts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the opening of new investigations relating to the actions of British soldiers in Northern Ireland during the [[The Troubles|Troubles]], including those relating to [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|Bloody Sunday]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/government-afraid-of-sinn-fein-over-soldier-prosecutions-says-retired-army-commander-38118175.html|title=Government 'afraid of Sinn Fein' over soldier prosecutions, says retired Army Commander|work=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|date=16 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47555848|title=Bloody Sunday decision reaction|work=BBC News|date=14 March 2019}}</ref> Kemp told the ''[[The News Letter|Belfast News Letter]]'' that he was concerned about the investigations into historic crimes, stating "It is obvious some soldiers do some wrong things of course but there is a very clear difference between them and terrorists. Soldiers set out to uphold the law whereas terrorists set out to maim and murder. They should be treated differently."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/latest-news/unfair-to-reinvestigate-soldiers-30-years-later-unless-fresh-evidence-1-8540993|title=˜Unfair to reinvestigate soldiers 30 years later unless fresh evidence|work=[[The News Letter]]|date=21 June 2018|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref> Kemp was questioned by police in 2000 concerning his suspected role in the murder of a prominent Republican figure during the 1980s, but charges were not brought against him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/exni-soldier-recalls-questioning-over-republicans-murder-as-calls-grow-for-veteran-protection-from-prosecutions-35656598.html|title=Ex-NI soldier recalls questioning over republican's murder as calls grow for veteran protection from prosecutions|work=Belfast Telegraph|access-date=23 June 2020|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
[[File:Anglians Helmand 1.JPG|thumb|right|Royal Anglian machine-gunners, Helmand, 2007]]
Kemp was Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561507/Call-for-second-Iraq-medal-clasp.html |title=Call for Second Iraq Medal clasp |last=Harding |first=Thomas |work=Daily Telegraph |date=28 August 2007 |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> He was responsible for all British forces deployed in Afghanistan, including a patrols unit operating under ISAF in Kabul, a training group working within the US-led Afghan National Army training mission, and a Provincial Reconstruction Team based at [[Mazar e-Sharif]]. During his tenure he also acted as Military Attache, working closely with the British Ambassador to Afghanistan and with the US Task Force Commander at Bagram and the UN Secretary General's Special Representative.


Kemp is a member of the advisory board of [[Veterans for Britain]], which campaigned strongly during the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 referendum]] for the UK to leave the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://veteransforbritain.uk/about/people|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311074533/http://veteransforbritain.uk/about/people/|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 March 2017|work=Veterans for Britain|title=Our People|access-date=18 May 2019}}</ref>
Kemp set up and led an ad hoc joint counter-terrorist operations group comprising forces from the [[US Marine Corps]] 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Antiterrorism)<ref>[http://www.marines.mil/units/hqmc/pandr/Documents/Concepts/2003/PDF/Chapter%202%20CP%2003%20PDFs/Ch2%20p2-1%20EI%20GWOT%204th%20MEB%20AT.pdf 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) Anti-Terrorism (AT)]" (PDF). United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 23 August 2009.</ref> and the British Army, which achieved a number of successes against Al Qaeda-associated extremists in Kabul. While Commander in Afghanistan, he devised a doctrine for combating [[suicide attack]], which did not previously exist in the British forces. That doctrine was subsequently taken into general use in the armed forces, promulgated by the [[Permanent Joint Headquarters]].


In 2015, Kemp spoke out in support of granting asylum in the UK to Afghan interpreters who had worked with British armed forces.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/11832796/Britain-owes-Afghan-interpreters-a-debt-of-honour.html|title=Britain 'owes Afghan interpreters a debt of honour'|website=www.telegraph.co.uk|date=29 August 2015 }}</ref>
== Political campaigns ==


Kemp criticised the findings of the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Gaza, calling it "flawed and dangerous".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/opinion/the-uns-gaza-report-is-flawed-and-dangerous.html|title=The U.N.'s Gaza Report Is Flawed and Dangerous|last=Kemp|first=Richard|date=25 June 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=23 June 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> His analysis was strongly critiqued by [[Richard A. Falk|Richard Falk]], former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Palestine, who accused Kemp of ignoring and misinterpreting international law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2015/07/07/israels-counterinsurgency-apologist-colonel-richard-kemp|work=Foreign Policy Journal|title=Israel's Counterinsurgency Apologist: Colonel Richard Kemp|first=Richard|last=Falk|date=7 July 2015|access-date=23 June 2020}}</ref>
Richard Kemp led a campaign in 2007 and 2008 to recognise the sacrifice of British troops killed and wounded in action by the award of a medal similar to the US [[Purple Heart]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2102151/Posthumous-award-for-troops-killed-on-operations.html |title=Posthumous Award for Troops Killed on Operations |work=Daily Telegraph |date=10 June 2008 |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> The campaign gained the support of the majority of Members of Parliament, through an [[Early Day Motion]] in the 2008–2009 parliamentary session;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34185&SESSION=891 |title=Early Day Motion 95, ''Honour the Brave Campaign'' |publisher=Hansard, House of Commons |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> as well as widespread support among serving and retired military ranging from Private [[Harry Patch]], last survivor of the [[Battle of Passchendaele]] to Field Marshal Sir [[Edwin Bramall]], former Chief of Defence Staff.


Kemp was involved in the "Honour the Brave" campaign led by the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' in 2007 and 2008 to recognise the sacrifice of British troops killed or wounded in action by the award of a medal similar to the US [[Purple Heart]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2102151/Posthumous-award-for-troops-killed-on-operations.html|title=Posthumous Award for Troops Killed on Operations|date=10 June 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=23 August 2009}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
The campaign also prompted specific debates in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080226/halltext/80226h0001.htm |title=Column 181WH, Medals (Armed Forces Personnel) |date=26 February 2008 |publisher=Hansard, House of Commons |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> and the [[House of Lords]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld200708/ldhansrd/text/80717-gc0002.htm |title= Column GC152, Armed Forces: Wounded Personnel |date=17 July 2008 |publisher=Hansard, House of Lords |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> and led to the MOD announcement in 2008<ref name="Posthumous award for troops killed on operations">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/2102151/Posthumous-award-for-troops-killed-on-operations.html |title=Posthumous award for troops killed on operations |date=10 June 2008 |work=Daily Telegraph |accessdate=17 July 2009}}</ref> of a new award to be made to the next of kin of British soldiers killed in action, which was launched in July 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/ElizabethCrossHonoursFamiliesOfFallenTroops.htm |title=Elizabeth Cross |publisher=Ministry of Defence |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref> The award, called the [[Elizabeth Cross]], is the first decoration to be named after a reigning monarch since the institution of the George Cross in 1941. The award was back-dated to the end of the Second World War. The Government has so far rejected calls for a new medal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6717104.ece |title=Letters to the Editor: British Purple Heart |date=17 July 2009 |last=Kemp |first=Richard |publisher=The Times |accessdate=23 August 2009}}</ref>


In October 2013 British media reported that Kemp may be on an [[Al-Qaeda]] death list. Kemp featured alongside others who have spoken out against Islamist terrorism on a video released by the Al Qaeda group [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|al-Shabaab]], which was responsible for an attack on a [[Nairobi]] shopping mall in 2013. The video included a clip from the BBC TV programme ''[[HARDtalk]]'' of Kemp condemning the [[Murder of Lee Rigby|murder of Fusilier Drummer Lee Rigby]] in [[Woolwich]]. The al-Shabaab urged UK Islamists to copy the murder. The ''Daily Mirror'' reported that anti-terrorist police had discussed with Kemp this death threat and concerns over his security.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/colonel-richard-kemp-al-shabaab-death-2482058|work=Daily Mirror|title=Former army commander defiant after warning he may be on al-Shabaab death list|first=Chris|last=Hughes|date=22 October 2013}}</ref>
==United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict==
Kemp testified before the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, denying allegations that [[Israel]] engaged in [[war crimes]] and [[crimes against humanity]] during the [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Gaza War]] in December 2008 to January 2009. Kemp based his assessment on publicly available information from both sides, press reports and his 30-year experience of counter-terrorism operations and planning.<ref name="ynetnews.com">http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3955417,00.html</ref> In June 2009, Kemp wrote "HAMAS, THE GAZA WAR AND ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW" for the [[Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]].<ref name="JCPA">[http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&TMID=111&LNGID=1&FID=378&PID=0&IID=3026 HAMAS, THE GAZA WAR AND ACCOUNTABILITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW], [[Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs]], 18 June 2009.</ref> In this paper, Kemp accused Hamas of deploying women and children as suicide attackers, and wrote that "women and children are trained and equipped to fight, collect intelligence and ferry arms and ammunition between battles".<ref name="JCPA"/>


Kemp has consistently criticised efforts by the British Army to increase gender and ethnic diversity. In 2014 he expressed his strong opposition to the proposal to end the policy prohibition on women serving in ground close combat roles, stating that women lack "ferocity, aggression and killer instinct".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11249823/Front-line-females-We-can-train-women-to-kill-but-men-wont-like-it.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|title=We can train women to kill, but men won't like it|last=Barnett|first=Emma|date=24 November 2014}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Writing in the ''Daily Telegraph'' in 2016 he alleged that the decision to allow women access to all armed forces roles was driven by "feminist zealots and ideologues hell-bent on equality of opportunity without exception" and that "through no fault of their own, women will often become the weak link in an infantry team. The men will have to take up the slack".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/05/putting-women-on-the-front-line-is-dangerous-pc-meddling-we-will/|title=Putting women on the front line is dangerous PC meddling. We will pay for it in blood|last=Kemp|first=Richard|date=5 April 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=17 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Kemp was critical of the army's 2018 recruitment advertising campaign, "This is Belonging", stating that "The army, like the rest of government, is being forced down a route of [[political correctness]] ... What is most important is that the army is full of soldiers. It is of secondary importance that they reflect the composition of society."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/10/army-accused-of-political-correctness-in-recruitment-campaign|title=Army accused of political correctness in recruitment campaign|last=Weaver|first=Matthew|date=10 January 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=23 June 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In October 2009, Kemp made a presentation to the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] in response to the introduction of the [[Goldstone report]] in which Israel and Hamas were accused of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the Gaza War. Kemp spoke to the UN HRC on behalf of [[UN Watch]].<ref name="UNWatch">[http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=7536409 UK Commander Challenges Goldstone Report], [[UN Watch]], 16 October 2009</ref> Kemp said: "Of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes...Based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in the combat zones than any other army in the history of warfare".<ref name="UNWatch"/><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX6vyT8RzMo</ref>


On 1 August 2017, ''[[The Times]]'' published an article by Kemp claiming that Islamic State forces were attempting to infiltrate the British armed forces, stating that "The understandable drive by the armed forces and police to recruit more Muslims, and a less understandable concern for ticking the politically correct box over operational effectiveness, combine into an unprecedented danger."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/islamists-may-have-already-infiltrated-our-armed-forces-jngjcdvjc|work=The Times|title=Islamists may have already infiltrated our armed forces|last=Kemp|first=Richard|date=1 August 2017|access-date=17 May 2019|issn=0140-0460}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The article was condemned for stigmatising all young Muslims as "potential terrorists" and undermining attempts to increase diversity in the British armed forces.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/azi-ahmed/stigmatising-muslim-recruits_b_17654534.html|work=[[HuffPost]]|title=It's Time To Stop Stigmatising Muslim Recruits|first=Ask|last=Ahmed|date=3 August 2017}}</ref>
Kemp also claimed to have relied on Israeli expertise in Afghanistan. He said he received help from an [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) anti-suicide bombing expert and the [[Mossad]], Israel's intelligence agency, following the [[2005 London bombings]]. Kemp was highly critical of the "automatic assumption that everything the IDF does is illegal." He said "there is harsh criticism against the US and British armies as well, but they are given the benefit of the doubt. Israel is always automatically condemned, no matter what. It's a joke. Even the conspiracy theory that the one responsible for the [[11 September attacks]] is not [[al-Qaeda]] but Israel refuses to die out, it's unbelievable".<ref name="ynetnews.com"/>


Kemp has defended the continued enlistment of 16 and 17-year olds by the British armed forces, despite criticism of the policy from child rights organisations, arguing that the recruitment policy "unquestionably boosts the quality and fighting effectiveness of the armed forces".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/29/charity-criticises-british-army-campaign-to-recruit-under-18s|title=Charity criticises British army campaign to recruit under-18s|last=Morris|first=Steven|date=29 November 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=23 June 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
==Operation Pillar of Defense==
On November 18, 2012, during Operation Pillar of Defense, Colonel Kemp told IDF military reporter Yair Barzilai: "In this current operation, Hamas is repeating old tactics of placing civilians in the line of fire and is responsible for their lives. At the same time, it deliberately fires missiles at the Israeli civilian population, without provocation and with no just cause." He added that "the ordinary people of Gaza are not at liberty to say what they really think if they are questioned by the media or if they are questioned by investigators. They are under so much pressure to say what Hamas requires them to say."


On 11 March 2015 Kemp visited the [[University of Sydney]] to deliver a lecture on "Ethical Dilemmas of Military Tactics" and the complexities in dealing with [[violent non-state actor]]s such as [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIL]]. This lecture was interrupted by a group of pro-[[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] demonstrators led by Associate-Professor [[Jake Lynch]], the director of the university's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. Following a heated exchange between the protesters and audience members, the pro-Palestinian protesters were evicted by security guards. In response to the incident, Kemp wrote a letter to the University of Sydney criticising Lynch's behaviour and accusing the latter of [[antisemitism]]. The University of Sydney later commenced an investigation into the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Falkenstein |first1=Glen |title=Antisemitism on Campus: Has Sydney University's Jake Lynch Finally Gone Too Far? |url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/03/17/4199255.htm |accessdate=18 March 2015 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=17 March 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150321031422/http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/03/17/4199255.htm |archive-date= 21 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kemp |first1=Richard |title=Letter to Sydney Uni from Colonel Richard Kemp |url=https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=17178&page=0 |website= [[On Line Opinion]] |accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref>
Asked about his pro-IDF point of view, Kemp responded: "I consider myself as having an objective view of what's happening over here. The IDF does not need me to defend them; they have proven it over the years," he said. "It's the dispassionate military perspective that I bring." Regarding media bias, he said: "It was clear to me that there was a great deal of propaganda that was being generated against Israel, and then being exploited by people who didn't understand military matters and didn't want to question it, it suited their agenda to vilify Israel."<ref>http://www.idf.il/1283-17660-en/Dover.aspx</ref>


In April 2017, a column written by Kemp and published in the ''[[Jewish News]]'' suggested that [[Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi|Baroness Warsi]] had sought to excuse the conduct of the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State group]]. The ''Jewish News'' was subsequently ordered to pay £20,000 in damages plus costs to Warsi.<ref name=":3">{{Cite press release |title=Baroness Warsi secures front page apology and libel damages from Jewish News over Kemp article |date=2018-02-23 |url=https://chambers.com/articles/baroness-warsi-secures-front-page-apology-and-libel-damages-from-jewish-news-over-kemp-article |access-date=2023-10-25}}</ref> In its public apology, the ''Jewish News'' stated
==Death threat==
<blockquote>In a column written by Colonel Richard Kemp published in the Jewish News and jewishnews.co.uk on 6 April 2017, it was suggested that Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has sought to excuse the appalling conduct of the barbaric Islamic State terror group. The column also suggested that Baroness Warsi has objected to action being taken against British Muslims who murder and rape for Islamic State. We wish to make absolutely clear that these allegations were wholly untrue and should never have been published.<ref name=apology>{{cite web|title=Baroness Sayeeda Warsi – an apology|url=http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/baroness-sayeeda-warsi-an-apology|work=Jewish News|date=20 November 2018|accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref></blockquote>
Warsi donated the damages to a charity for Muslim and Jewish women.<ref name=apology/> Kemp himself did not issue an apology, and was accused by Warsi of appearing "to wantonly publish inflammatory and offensive comments without a thought for the consequences (let alone the truth)."<ref name=":3" />


On 23 July 2018, ''The Daily Telegraph'' published an article by Kemp which argued that after its [[Brexit|departure from the European Union]], Britain should re-instate the death penalty for terrorism suspects.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/07/23/laws-inadequate-prosecuting-isil-beatles-brexit-can-change/|title=After Brexit, we can give Isil terrorists the justice they deserve – and that means the death penalty|last=Kemp|first=Richard|date=23 July 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=18 May 2019|issn=0307-1235}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
In October 2013 British media reported that Kemp may be on an [[Al-Qaeda]] death list. Kemp featured alongside others who have spoken out against Islamist terrorism on a video released by the Al Qaeda group [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|al-Shabaab]], which was responsible for an attack on a [[Nairobi]] shopping mall in 2013. The video included a clip from the BBC TV programme ''[[HARDtalk]]'' of Kemp condemning the [[Murder of Lee Rigby|killing of Fusilier Drummer Lee Rigby]] in [[Woolwich]]. It urged UK Islamists to copy the street murder of Drummer Rigby. The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' reported that anti-terrorist police had discussed with Kemp this death threat and concerns over his security.<ref>http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/colonel-richard-kemp-al-shabaab-death-2482058</ref>


In July 2017 he received criticism for his usage of the term "[[taig]]", a racial slur for Catholics of Irish descent, during an exchange on Twitter, including from former [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP and British Army officer [[Eric Joyce]] who questioned if he knew it was a "racist term of abuse". In his defence, Kemp mentioned that he is a practising Catholic and, having often been subject to the term as a result, he did not consider it a term of abuse.<ref name="IrishNews1">{{cite web|last1=Monaghan|first1=John|title=Former British army commander does not consider 'taig' as a 'term of abuse'|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/07/29/news/former-british-army-commander-does-not-consider-taig-as-a-term-of-abuse--1096105/|website=[[The Irish News]]|accessdate=12 March 2018|date=29 July 2017}}</ref>
==2015 Sydney Talk==
On 11 March 2015, Richard Kemp visited the [[University of Sydney]] in [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]] to deliver a lecture on "Ethical Dilemmas of Military Tactics" and the complexities in dealing with non-state armed groups like the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]]. This lecture was interrupted by a group of pro-[[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] demonstrators led by Associate-Professor [[Jake Lynch]], the Director of the University's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. Following a heated exchange between the protesters and audience members, the pro-Palestinian protesters were evicted by security guards. In response to the incident, Richard Kemp wrote a letter to the University of Sydney criticizing Lynch's behavior and accusing the latter of [[anti-Semitism]]. The University of Sydney has since commenced an investigation into the incident.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Falkenstein|first1=Glen|title=Antisemitism on Campus: Has Sydney University's Jake Lynch Finally Gone Too Far?|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/03/17/4199255.htm|accessdate=18 March 2015|agency=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=17 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kemp|first1=Richard|title=Letter to Sydney Uni from Colonel Richard Kemp|url=http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=17178&page=0|website=On Line Opinion|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref>


In 2023, Kemp expressed support for Israel's actions in the [[Gaza Strip]] during the [[Israel–Hamas war]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Douglas Murray, Col. Richard Kemp explain uphill battle for Israel |url=https://www.jpost.com/bds-threat/article-779863 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=29 December 2023}}</ref>
==Literary career==

Kemp co-wrote a book called ''Attack State Red'' about the deployment of the [[Royal Anglian Regiment]] in [[Helmand Province]], [[Afghanistan]], in 2007 as a part of [[Operation Herrick]]. The title of the book comes from the British military standing operating procedures (SOPs) for the alert state of a base referring to the likelihood of attack. Kemp wrote the book with Chris Hughes, a journalist with the Daily Mirror. The book seeks to place the civilian reader into the boots of the fighting soldier. It has been written with the intention of providing an insight into what it is like to confront an enemy in harsh battle conditions. The book was published in September 2009 by [[Penguin Books]].<ref>[http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780718155063,00.html?Attack_State_Red_Richard_Kemp Penguin publishers]</ref>

Colonel Kemp is a popular After Dinner speaker and is represented by an agency called Military Speakers.<ref>http://www.militaryspeakers.co.uk/speakers/colonel-richard-kemp-cbe.aspx</ref>

==Views of serving women in the military==
Kemp is against women serving in the army's Infantry arm, stating that that they lack "ferocity, aggression and killer instinct."<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2840459/Women-lack-killer-instinct-colonel.html</ref><ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11249823/Front-line-females-We-can-train-women-to-kill-but-men-wont-like-it.html</ref>


== Honours and awards ==
== Honours and awards ==


Kemp was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE), Military Division, on 25 April 1994 in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1993,<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=53653 |date=25 April 1994 |startpage=6165 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=24 August 2009}}</ref> and was awarded the [[Queen's Commendation for Bravery]] for service as a commander in the [[United Nations Protection Force]] in Bosnia in 1994.<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=54028 |date=9 May 1995 |startpage=6612 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=24 August 2009}}</ref> He was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the [[New Year Honours 2006]].<ref>{{LondonGazette |issue=57855 |date=31 December 2005 |startpage=5 |endpage= |supp=yes |accessdate=24 August 2009}}</ref> In addition, he is a member of the International Advisory Board of [[NGO Monitor]]<ref>[http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article.php?viewall=yes&id=2028 International Advisory Board of NGO Monitor]</ref> and of the Board of [[Advancing Human Rights (NGO)]].<ref name="BDavis">Brandon Davis [http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/03/23/27963/] "Advancing human rights?," 23 March 2010, Daily Princetonian.</ref>
Kemp was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE), Military Division, on 25 April 1994 in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1993,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=53653 |date=25 April 1994 |page=6165 |supp=y }}</ref> and was awarded the [[Queen's Commendation for Bravery]] for service as a commander in the [[United Nations Protection Force]] in Bosnia in 1994.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54028 |date=9 May 1995 |page=6612 |supp=y }}</ref> He was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the [[New Year Honours 2006]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57855 |date=31 December 2005 |page=5 |supp=y }}</ref> He received an [[honorary doctorate]] from [[Bar-Ilan University]] in 2015.<ref name=BIU-doctorate>{{cite web|title=Bar-Ilan University bestows an honorary doctorate on Colonel (ret.) Richard Kemp|author=Michael Rabi|url=http://www.bfbiu.org/general/bar-ilan-university-bestows-honorary-doctorate-colonel-ret-richard-kemp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926100900/http://www.bfbiu.org/general/bar-ilan-university-bestows-honorary-doctorate-colonel-ret-richard-kemp/|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 September 2015|work=British friends of Bar-Ilan University|accessdate=15 December 2015}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*{{Wikiquote-inline}}
*{{official|http://richard-kemp.com }}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Kemp, Richard
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British Army officer and writer
| DATE OF BIRTH = 20 April 1959
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Richard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Richard}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Troubles]]
[[Category:British Army colonels]]
[[Category:British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland)]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Gulf War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Gulf War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]]
[[Category:British intelligence operatives]]
[[Category:British intelligence operatives]]
[[Category:British military historians]]
[[Category:British military historians]]
[[Category:Counter-insurgency theorists]]
[[Category:Counterinsurgency theorists]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism theorists]]
[[Category:Counterterrorism theorists]]
[[Category:Critics of Islamism]]
[[Category:English military writers]]
[[Category:English military writers]]
[[Category:English writers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Essex]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Royal Anglian Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Royal Anglian Regiment officers]]
[[Category:People educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School]]
[[Category:People educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Queen's Commendation for Bravery]]

Latest revision as of 07:25, 3 January 2025

This article is about the twenty-first century colonel. For other people, see Richard Kemp (disambiguation).

Colonel

Richard Kemp

CBE
Richard Kemp, pictured here in 2003.
Born (1959-04-14) 14 April 1959 (age 65)
Maldon, Essex, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1977−2006
RankColonel
Service number505991[1]
UnitRoyal Anglian Regiment
Battles / warsOperation Banner
Gulf War
Bosnian War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Queen's Commendation for Bravery

Colonel Richard Justin Kemp CBE (born 14 April 1959) is a retired British Army officer who served from 1977 to 2006. Kemp was an infantry battalion commanding officer. Among his assignments were the command of Operation Fingal in Afghanistan from July to November 2003. After retiring Kemp co-wrote Attack State Red with Chris Hughes, an account of the 2007 Afghanistan campaign undertaken by the Royal Anglian Regiment, documenting their initial deployment.

Kemp has spoken on a range of social and political issues, including the British armed forces, the Middle East, and the European Union.[2]

He is the head of the UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS), the UK branch of AWIS, an Israeli organisation managed by the Israel Defense Forces and headed by General Yoram Yair.[3]

Early life and military career

Kemp was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School before serving as a soldier and officer in the Royal Anglian Regiment from 1977 to 2006. Having trained as an infantry soldier in 1977 at Bassingbourn Barracks, Cambridgeshire, he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned as second lieutenant on the General List on 5 August 1978.[4] Posted back to the Royal Anglian Regiment in 1979,[5] Kemp was appointed as a platoon commander with the 3rd Battalion, based in Palace Barracks, Belfast.

During his military career Kemp completed seven deployments on Operation Banner in Northern Ireland. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1980[6] and Captain in 1985.[7] He later became a training instructor at Bassingbourn before a posting to the 2nd Battalion as the second in command of a company, Milan Platoon commander, and then battle group operations officer, serving in several locations across the world, including a tour as part of UNFICYP in Cyprus.

Crossmaglen Security Forces Base, South Armagh, Northern Ireland

As a captain in the Royal Anglian Regiment, Kemp took part in the first Gulf War in 1990–91, commanding the Tactical Headquarters of 7th Armoured Brigade,[8] and was promoted to the rank of Major in 1991.[9]

Following tours with the 7th Armoured Brigade and in Headquarters Northern Ireland, he returned to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment as Point Company Commander, leading the company in Bosnia, Germany and Canada.[citation needed] In Bosnia, he served on operations with the United Nations (UNPROFOR).[citation needed] He then took over the Armoured Infantry Training and Advisory Team based at Hohne and Sennelager, and held a staff appointment in the Ministry of Defence.[citation needed]

Kemp was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1997[10] and commanded the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Oakington and Derry from 1998 to 2000. After this command, he was appointed commander of the Operational Training and Advisory Group and then spent six months as Counter Terrorism and Security Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.[citation needed]

Royal Anglian machine-gunners, Helmand, 2007

Kemp was attached to the Cabinet Office from 2001 to 2006,[citation needed] during which time he was briefly Commander of Operation Fingal in Afghanistan (between July and November 2003) with approximately 300 soldiers under his command.[11][12] At the Cabinet Office he worked for the Joint Intelligence Committee and the national crisis management group, COBRA,[citation needed] during the period of the 2005 London bombings and a series of kidnappings of British nationals in Iraq and Afghanistan. His responsibilities included Iraq,[citation needed] and he made several visits to Baghdad, Fallujah and Mosul. He was promoted to the rank of colonel on 30 June 2004[13] and retired from the army on 30 March 2006.[14]

After leaving the army, Kemp co-authored the book Attack State Red with Chris Hughes, a journalist with the Daily Mirror. It describes the deployment of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2007 as a part of Operation Herrick.[15] The title of the book comes from the British military standing operating procedures (SOPs) for the alert state of a base referring to the likelihood of attack. The book was published in September 2009 by Penguin Books.

Politics

Kemp has repeatedly spoken out against the investigation and prosecution of British soldiers for suspected criminal acts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the opening of new investigations relating to the actions of British soldiers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, including those relating to Bloody Sunday.[16][17] Kemp told the Belfast News Letter that he was concerned about the investigations into historic crimes, stating "It is obvious some soldiers do some wrong things of course but there is a very clear difference between them and terrorists. Soldiers set out to uphold the law whereas terrorists set out to maim and murder. They should be treated differently."[18] Kemp was questioned by police in 2000 concerning his suspected role in the murder of a prominent Republican figure during the 1980s, but charges were not brought against him.[19]

Kemp is a member of the advisory board of Veterans for Britain, which campaigned strongly during the 2016 referendum for the UK to leave the European Union.[20]

In 2015, Kemp spoke out in support of granting asylum in the UK to Afghan interpreters who had worked with British armed forces.[21]

Kemp criticised the findings of the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Gaza, calling it "flawed and dangerous".[22] His analysis was strongly critiqued by Richard Falk, former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Palestine, who accused Kemp of ignoring and misinterpreting international law.[23]

Kemp was involved in the "Honour the Brave" campaign led by the Daily Mirror in 2007 and 2008 to recognise the sacrifice of British troops killed or wounded in action by the award of a medal similar to the US Purple Heart.[24]

In October 2013 British media reported that Kemp may be on an Al-Qaeda death list. Kemp featured alongside others who have spoken out against Islamist terrorism on a video released by the Al Qaeda group al-Shabaab, which was responsible for an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall in 2013. The video included a clip from the BBC TV programme HARDtalk of Kemp condemning the murder of Fusilier Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich. The al-Shabaab urged UK Islamists to copy the murder. The Daily Mirror reported that anti-terrorist police had discussed with Kemp this death threat and concerns over his security.[25]

Kemp has consistently criticised efforts by the British Army to increase gender and ethnic diversity. In 2014 he expressed his strong opposition to the proposal to end the policy prohibition on women serving in ground close combat roles, stating that women lack "ferocity, aggression and killer instinct".[26] Writing in the Daily Telegraph in 2016 he alleged that the decision to allow women access to all armed forces roles was driven by "feminist zealots and ideologues hell-bent on equality of opportunity without exception" and that "through no fault of their own, women will often become the weak link in an infantry team. The men will have to take up the slack".[27] Kemp was critical of the army's 2018 recruitment advertising campaign, "This is Belonging", stating that "The army, like the rest of government, is being forced down a route of political correctness ... What is most important is that the army is full of soldiers. It is of secondary importance that they reflect the composition of society."[28]

On 1 August 2017, The Times published an article by Kemp claiming that Islamic State forces were attempting to infiltrate the British armed forces, stating that "The understandable drive by the armed forces and police to recruit more Muslims, and a less understandable concern for ticking the politically correct box over operational effectiveness, combine into an unprecedented danger."[29] The article was condemned for stigmatising all young Muslims as "potential terrorists" and undermining attempts to increase diversity in the British armed forces.[30]

Kemp has defended the continued enlistment of 16 and 17-year olds by the British armed forces, despite criticism of the policy from child rights organisations, arguing that the recruitment policy "unquestionably boosts the quality and fighting effectiveness of the armed forces".[31]

On 11 March 2015 Kemp visited the University of Sydney to deliver a lecture on "Ethical Dilemmas of Military Tactics" and the complexities in dealing with violent non-state actors such as ISIL. This lecture was interrupted by a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators led by Associate-Professor Jake Lynch, the director of the university's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. Following a heated exchange between the protesters and audience members, the pro-Palestinian protesters were evicted by security guards. In response to the incident, Kemp wrote a letter to the University of Sydney criticising Lynch's behaviour and accusing the latter of antisemitism. The University of Sydney later commenced an investigation into the incident.[32][33]

In April 2017, a column written by Kemp and published in the Jewish News suggested that Baroness Warsi had sought to excuse the conduct of the Islamic State group. The Jewish News was subsequently ordered to pay £20,000 in damages plus costs to Warsi.[34] In its public apology, the Jewish News stated

In a column written by Colonel Richard Kemp published in the Jewish News and jewishnews.co.uk on 6 April 2017, it was suggested that Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has sought to excuse the appalling conduct of the barbaric Islamic State terror group. The column also suggested that Baroness Warsi has objected to action being taken against British Muslims who murder and rape for Islamic State. We wish to make absolutely clear that these allegations were wholly untrue and should never have been published.[35]

Warsi donated the damages to a charity for Muslim and Jewish women.[35] Kemp himself did not issue an apology, and was accused by Warsi of appearing "to wantonly publish inflammatory and offensive comments without a thought for the consequences (let alone the truth)."[34]

On 23 July 2018, The Daily Telegraph published an article by Kemp which argued that after its departure from the European Union, Britain should re-instate the death penalty for terrorism suspects.[36]

In July 2017 he received criticism for his usage of the term "taig", a racial slur for Catholics of Irish descent, during an exchange on Twitter, including from former Labour MP and British Army officer Eric Joyce who questioned if he knew it was a "racist term of abuse". In his defence, Kemp mentioned that he is a practising Catholic and, having often been subject to the term as a result, he did not consider it a term of abuse.[37]

In 2023, Kemp expressed support for Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel–Hamas war.[38]

Honours and awards

Kemp was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Military Division, on 25 April 1994 in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1993,[39] and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for service as a commander in the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994.[40] He was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the New Year Honours 2006.[41] He received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in 2015.[42]

References

  1. ^ "No. 53653". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 1994. p. 6165.
  2. ^ "EU 'draws money from Nato'". BBC News. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. ^ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/bbc-newsnight-failed-declare-richard-kemp-link-idf-israel-army-gaza-palestine/ [bare URL]
  4. ^ "No. 47655". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1978. pp. 11765–11766.
  5. ^ "No. 47830". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1979. p. 5681.
  6. ^ "No. 48294". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 September 1980. p. 12372.
  7. ^ "No. 50032". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 February 1985. p. 2001.
  8. ^ Cordingley, Patrick (1 August 1996). In the Eye of the Storm. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0340682456.
  9. ^ "No. 52691". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 October 1991. pp. 16034–16035.
  10. ^ "No. 54827". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 July 1997. pp. 7831–7832.
  11. ^ "Col Richard Kemp's command(s) in Afghanistan - a Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence". WhatDoTheyKnow. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  12. ^ Harding, Thomas (28 August 2007). "Call for Second Iraq Medal clasp". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 August 2009.(subscription required)
  13. ^ "No. 57351". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 July 2004. p. 8719.
  14. ^ "No. 57945". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 April 2006. p. 4707.
  15. ^ Kemp, Richard; Hughes, Chris (1 August 2009). Attack State Red. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-141-92436-6.
  16. ^ "Government 'afraid of Sinn Fein' over soldier prosecutions, says retired Army Commander". Belfast Telegraph. 16 May 2019. ISSN 0307-1235.
  17. ^ "Bloody Sunday decision reaction". BBC News. 14 March 2019.
  18. ^ "˜Unfair to reinvestigate soldiers 30 years later unless fresh evidence". The News Letter. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Ex-NI soldier recalls questioning over republican's murder as calls grow for veteran protection from prosecutions". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Our People". Veterans for Britain. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Britain 'owes Afghan interpreters a debt of honour'". www.telegraph.co.uk. 29 August 2015.
  22. ^ Kemp, Richard (25 June 2015). "The U.N.'s Gaza Report Is Flawed and Dangerous". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  23. ^ Falk, Richard (7 July 2015). "Israel's Counterinsurgency Apologist: Colonel Richard Kemp". Foreign Policy Journal. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Posthumous Award for Troops Killed on Operations". The Daily Telegraph. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2009.(subscription required)
  25. ^ Hughes, Chris (22 October 2013). "Former army commander defiant after warning he may be on al-Shabaab death list". Daily Mirror.
  26. ^ Barnett, Emma (24 November 2014). "We can train women to kill, but men won't like it". The Daily Telegraph.(subscription required)
  27. ^ Kemp, Richard (5 April 2016). "Putting women on the front line is dangerous PC meddling. We will pay for it in blood". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 May 2019.(subscription required)
  28. ^ Weaver, Matthew (10 January 2018). "Army accused of political correctness in recruitment campaign". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  29. ^ Kemp, Richard (1 August 2017). "Islamists may have already infiltrated our armed forces". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 17 May 2019.(subscription required)
  30. ^ Ahmed, Ask (3 August 2017). "It's Time To Stop Stigmatising Muslim Recruits". HuffPost.
  31. ^ Morris, Steven (29 November 2017). "Charity criticises British army campaign to recruit under-18s". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  32. ^ Falkenstein, Glen (17 March 2015). "Antisemitism on Campus: Has Sydney University's Jake Lynch Finally Gone Too Far?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  33. ^ Kemp, Richard. "Letter to Sydney Uni from Colonel Richard Kemp". On Line Opinion. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  34. ^ a b "Baroness Warsi secures front page apology and libel damages from Jewish News over Kemp article" (Press release). 23 February 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Baroness Sayeeda Warsi – an apology". Jewish News. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  36. ^ Kemp, Richard (23 July 2018). "After Brexit, we can give Isil terrorists the justice they deserve – and that means the death penalty". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 May 2019.(subscription required)
  37. ^ Monaghan, John (29 July 2017). "Former British army commander does not consider 'taig' as a 'term of abuse'". The Irish News. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  38. ^ "Douglas Murray, Col. Richard Kemp explain uphill battle for Israel". The Jerusalem Post. 29 December 2023.
  39. ^ "No. 53653". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 1994. p. 6165.
  40. ^ "No. 54028". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 May 1995. p. 6612.
  41. ^ "No. 57855". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2005. p. 5.
  42. ^ Michael Rabi. "Bar-Ilan University bestows an honorary doctorate on Colonel (ret.) Richard Kemp". British friends of Bar-Ilan University. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
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