Last week, I received the following email: “Dear Friends, As you might have heard, the American Coalition have been bombing civilian areas in Mosul. Over the past few days the coalition targeted 3 houses of well known professors and researchers in Mosul University. One of them was my college professor and mentor Prof. Dr Mohamad […]
Posts Tagged ‘ISIS’
Iraq – the killing continues
Feb 8th, 2016 by Mike Phipps.Mike Phipps finds no grounds for optimism in recent developments 2016 began badly for human rights in Iraq. Here are some headlines from the first few weeks of the year, focusing on the crimes of ISIS. ISIS executes 80 people by firing squad in central Nineveh – Iraqi News (9 January). ISIS executes 12 people […]
Taking a closer look at Hilary Benn’s “electrifying” speech
Dec 13th, 2015 by David Pavett.Hilary Benn’s Commons speech in the Syria debate on 2 December has received high praise from right wing politicians and the media. It has been variously described as “one of the great speeches of the House of Commons” (Phillip Hammond), a “tour de force” (Tony Blair), “electrifying” (Andrew Rawnsley in the Observer) and “politically elevating” […]
Labour’s shadow cabinet must not split the party over going to war
Nov 27th, 2015 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 […]
Post-Paris massacre poll shows UK public oppose Syria airstrikes – MPs take note
Nov 18th, 2015 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
Nov 17th, 2015 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?
Nov 16th, 2015 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
Oct 11th, 2015 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
Sep 23rd, 2015 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
Sep 11th, 2015 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 […]