Posts Tagged ‘#DontBombSyria’

Bombing in cloud cuckoo land

December 2, 2015
Less than half of voters back airstrikes on Syria

Less than half of voters back airstrikes on Syria

Today MPs debate whether or not to bomb Syria.

David Cameron has refused a two day debate, refused to grant his MPs a free vote, refused to apologise for his disgraceful remark last night that those who oppose bombing of Syria are sympathisers of terrorists.

Meanwhile public support is melting away as people wake up to the lies they are being told.

Speaking on Wato lunchtime today, a Tory MP claimed British air strikes would degrade Isis.

Really?

So what has over a month of Russian air strikes, over a year of American air strikes done?

David Cameron has a point, if forces in Iraq are threatened by Isis over the border, we should not let an arbitrary line deter us, but that is a different matter.

We are not re-enacting WWII, easily defined targets, airfields, command posts, railway lines, sidings, power stations, factories, where the enemy is seriously degraded.

The myth of forces on the ground has been exposed as just that, a  myth.

There are forces on the ground, many are as bad as Isis, if not worse. Their interest is holding on to their existing territory. They are  not going to take the fight to Isis, neither are the Kurds.

If there are forces on the ground, attacking Isis or under attack by Isis, call for air support, that is a different matter.

David Cameron says we are already under threat from Isis. Bombing will increase that threat. That is not an argument against effective action, any action would increase that threat, but effective action would reduce in the long term.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Dark Mountain, democracy, Middle East, war | 2 Comments »

Opposition to bombing of Syria

December 1, 2015
#DontBombSyria John McDonnell

#DontBombSyria John McDonnell

I am opposed to the bombing and I know the argument has been brought forward that this will be very clinical, very precise, etc. but I’m concerned that any collateral damage will be used by ISIS as a recruitment tool to be frank and I think it will possibly endanger us even more. — John McDonnell MP

#DontBombSyria Jeremy Corbyn

#DontBombSyria Jeremy Corbyn

The media report that the conditions in the Labour Party resolution passed by Conference in September have been met as fact. In fact, it’s an awful lot more complicated than that. Reporters gloss over this, as if it’s a mere irrelevance, or a footnote at best. Today Jeremy answered that point in detail. Even on the first part of that resolution (the UN resolution), Cameron’s reassurances fell short:

Andrew Marr: Right, now I put myself through the brief piece of homework of reading the Labour Party resolution, which I think in party terms is the kind of foundation for everything that follows. And in that, you know, there was a call for a UN resolution, which has happened, there was a call for a better plan for refugees, which is being put together now, and there were various other calls for things, many of which the Prime Minister would say he has delivered. You set a high bar, he might say, Mr Corbyn, and I have got over that bar, and you’re still saying you’re against it. So you’re against this under all circumstances whatever the Prime Minister says. There’s nothing that he can pick up – if he could pick up a phone to you now and said, ‘ah, Mr Corbyn, I have got a new thing to say to you’, is there anything he could say to you that would change your mind?

Jeremy Corbyn: I’d obviously listen to what he has to say, because that’s the responsibility of every MP to do that. But the point is …

Andrew Marr: Of course, but if anything could change your mind –

Jeremy Corbyn: – the resolution talks about a UN resolution to be carried, indeed one was carried. This is not a UN-inspired attack, this is an attack on Isil groupings, whatever you want to call them, in Raqqa, which is actually a coalition between Britain, France and the USA. Other countries such as Australia and Canada have already withdrawn from this. This is not a UN–organised thing, this is not a Chapter 7 resolution which is mandatory on member states.

Andrew Marr: Because you see, you know, the Shadow Cabinet members who disagree with you have gone through those resolutions passed at conference and said by and large we think it’s been met, and that therefore the hurdles have been covered. But the trouble with Jeremy Corbyn is, in his heart he’s there on the streets with the Stop the War coalition and there’s nothing that can be said that’s going to change his mind.

Jeremy Corbyn: There’s nothing wrong with my heart, except wanting a peaceful world and wanting the best for my country.

Andrew Marr: It’s on the left, I suspect.

Jeremy Corbyn: Well, it’s a socialist heart as well, but let’s go back to the issue of how we deal with the problems of the region. Surely it is much better to pursue the political option which will eventually bring about a ceasefire, hopefully quickly, in the Syrian civil war. Hundreds of thousands of people have already died in the Syrian civil war. Millions have been driven into exile. This is a crisis of unimaginable proportions for the whole region, and it’s now affecting Europe more and more. Surely it’s the political process that’s the key thing. This is in effect a distraction from the political process.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Middle East, war | Leave a Comment »

Don’t Bomb Syria

November 29, 2015
#DontBombSyria twitterstorm 1800 GMT Sunday 29 November 2015

#DontBombSyria twitterstorm 1800 GMT Sunday 29 November 2015

Bombing will not rid the world of Isis. It will increase the threat of terrorism, as did bombing Iraq, which led to a doubling of MI5 budget. It will kill civilians, which will lead to more joining Isis as they seek revenge.

We appear to have leant nothing from the bombing of Iraq and Libya. Both countries have been destroyed. Both countries are now training grounds for terrorists.  We have triggered a wave of migrants into Europe, the like of which we have never seen. Terrorists are using this migrant flow to enter Europe.

We have home-grown terrorists, supporters of Isis are not a tiny minority within Muslim enclaves. In the slums of Brussels, from which two of the Paris terrorists came, there is active recruiting for Isis.

We bombed Iraq on a lie. We bombed Libya with very little critical analysis in Parliament.  Why is there a rush to make the same mistakes?

Disagreements within the Parliamentary Party, on foreign policy, on military issues are nothing new. I remember when 139 Labour MPs broke the whip after Tony Blair, with no consultation with Labour Party members, with no consultation with Labour MPs, ordered Labour MPs to vote for the disastrous and illegal war in Iraq…Many of the people attacking Jeremy Corbyn got it gravely wrong on Iraq…Jeremy Corbyn got it correct…and I do believe if we ask ourselves the question of whether or not the UK bombing in Syria is in the interests of the Syrian people, in the interests of the wider region and in the interests of British security, I think Jeremy Corbyn’s got it correct again.

The onus is on those who wish to rain bombs down on Syria, to show what is different this time, how will it remove Isis?

Isis has already change tactic. They are no longer driving around in convoys.

What of the civilians?

No coherent strategy has been put forward by David Cameron.

Avenging the atrocities in Paris by dropping bombs, is not a strategy.

Russia has been bombing Isis for over a month. It has made not an iota of difference.

US has been bombing Isis for at least a year. During this period, Isis has been able to expand the territory they hold.

The forces on the ground Cameron alludes to, do not exist.

Kurds are the only effective fighting force. They are only interested in defending Kurdistan, not liberating Syria

The men the Americans trained, can be counted on one hand, what is left of them.

Money and weapons from from Turkey and Saudi Arabia has to be cut off.

Cutting off money is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Isis is self-funding. Taxes, sale of slaves, money from people trafficking, sale of oil.

Turkey is buying oil from Isis.

But ultimately, there would have to be ground troops, if we wish to defeat Isis, and an occupation of ten years or more, to re-build the country.

Jeremy Corbyn has raised serious questions. For doing so, attacked by his own MPs.

What is sickening are the Labour MPs who will vote for war to stab Jeremy Corbyn in the back. . They will vote for bombing, the killing of civilians, increase risk of terrorism, purely out of their hatred of Jeremy Corbyn.

We must force vote of No Confidence on the MPs, and have them de-selected. They are a disgrace.

There must be a free vote. MPs cannot be told by Party to vote on a matter of war.

Jeremy Corbyn must grant a free vote, and call upon other parties to do likewise.

Yesterday saw demonstrations and marches across the UK opposing the bombing of Syria.

This evening at 1800 GMT Sunday 29 November 2015 a twitterstorm. Please use the hashtag #DontBombSyria with a personal message explaining why you are against the bombing of Syria.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Middle East, war | 1 Comment »

%d bloggers like this: