Posts under ‘Middle East/North Africa’

Labour’s shadow cabinet must not split the party over going to war

by Jon Lansman.

The shadow cabinet yesterday discussed David Cameron’s plan to go to war in Syria. A majority of its members favour backing airstrikes in spite of the four conditions laid down by Labour’s conference only two months ago not being met. It is unclear whether there is a majority of members favour imposing a whip in support […]

Labour Party will boycott G4S security services over repression of Palestinians

by Newsdesk.

It has emerged that the Labour Party decided at its national executive meeting on Tuesday to boycott the private security company, G4S, that has provided its conference security in recent years because it helps Israel run prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners are held without trial and subjected to torture. Protests have taken place both outside […]

Post-Paris massacre poll shows UK public oppose Syria airstrikes – MPs take note

by Jon Lansman.

The vast majority of the British public do not believe that British airstrikes on Syria are the right response to the Paris massacre, says a poll published today. Nor do the public believe past airstrikes have made the UK any safer. What most people want is a joint international approach backed by the UN, and for […]

On Jeremy Corbyn, “shoot to kill” and stopping terrorists in the act of murder

by Phil Burton-Cartledge.

You can understand the thirst for vengeance. On Sunday night, France flew sorties over Syria to strike IS targets in Raqqa, the capital of their ramshackle semi-state. They reportedly hit a recruitment centre and munitions depot. Other facilities on the receiving end of French ordinance were a hospital, a museum, a stadium, and a chicken farm. […]

Are drone strikes doing more harm than good in the fight against ISIS?

by Luke Barratt.

The death by drone of Jihadi John earlier in the week again brought to the fore the increasingly fraught debate over such state-sanctioned killings, which would, in a time before the War on Terror, have been termed assassinations. Jeremy Corbyn was predictably castigated by some for remarking that it would have been better for Emwazi to […]

Western policy in Syria is bankrupt. But that doesn’t stop the aerial attacks

by Mike Phipps.

The US has been bombing Syria for over a year. Russia began this September, as did France. Turkey has strafed targeted ISIS positions in the country and Israel has also conducted air strikes on Syrian military installations. Canada has been bombing Syria since April and Australia since September. Jordan began a year ago as did […]

Emergency motion to Labour conference on Syria and ISIS

by Newsdesk.

Readers will be aware of the likelihood that David Cameron will seek House of Commons support to extend UK participation in the bombing of Iraq to Syria in the near future. In discussion between various organisations, the following model emergency motion has been drafted. This is clearly life and death issue for the people of Syria. […]

Cameron’s declared bombing aims in Syria are ridiculously vain

by Michael Meacher.

We have all learnt that Cameron routinely makes up policy on the hoof, but he has really outdone himself by his explanation of his case for bombing Syria. First of all as he states it, his military case is the defeat of ISIS. This is risible since the contribution that he is planning for Britain […]

Dithering Dave and the refugees

by Phil Burton-Cartledge.

I detest the term “game-changing“, but the wide publication of the little body of Aylan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach touched millions of hearts coarsened by decades of anti-immigrant racism and hysteria. Having obstinately set his face against taking more refugees, Dave and his pitiful government were shamed by the huge numbers taken […]

Why bombing would not have averted the Syrian refugee crisis

by Phil Burton-Cartledge.

Just a few of points by way of counterfactual theorising in response to James Bloodworth’s piece in the International Business Times about Syria and the decision not to go to war. James’s chief contention is that, had the Commons voted to bomb Assad and his regime this time two years ago, the appalling refugee crisis […]

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