Syria- Is it time we re-assessed who we support?

r1ecn

I found Bitter Lake an interesting watch. It suggests that the Saudi state encourages jihadists to focus their efforts abroad so that the Saudi state is spared their attention.

The state can put pressure on private donors if it wants to, especially a dictatorship like Saudi.

krish

^^ even when those private donors happen to members of the House of Saud?

r1ecn

I would suggest that counts as state rather than private support.

But I agree that the Saudi state is intricately involved in what is going on and have been for a long time (e.g. Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya).

Cliff

Its looking pretty certain we will be carrying out air strikes in Syria very soon.

Corbyn should lead the vote as Leader of the opposition and direct his MPs one way or another. He probably won't as leadership is not something he is comfortable with.

Obviously, Cameron is doing his homework this time, to make sure the vote is passed.

So why bomb Syria?
To show solidarity with France after Paris.
To contain IS from further expansion. The Islamic state is a training ground for extremists, actively encourages terrorist attacks in the West, and promotes ideology. The Paris attacks may not have happened without IS in Syria.

If we join in, we are in the cross hairs for another Paris style attack on one of our cities.

Brussels is presently in lock down, curfews etc. Paris is still on high alert. The US has issues a world wide travel alert.
Is this how we want to live?

Most of the recent attacks were not from foreign fighters but people who were born in Europe.

I am not sure bombing will achieve anything apart making Muslims more disconnected.

Flattening Syria might sound like we are doing the right thing, but the priority should be getting our own country secure first.

tapzilla2k

Things have just become even more complicated with Turkey shooting down a Russian Fighter Jet and Turkish backed rebels allegedly shooting the pilots dead as they were descending after ejecting from the fighter jet. Unconfirmed reports that a Russian helicopter was also shot down by Rebels using a US anti tank missile. Russia has accused Turkey of buying oil off ISIS and not controlling it's borders i.e. allowing refugees to flow into the EU.
So of course WWIII started trending on twitter.

Air strikes are an action, not an end game as a US General put it. So unless there is an end game to dealing with ISIS, rebuilding Syria and Iraq, us taking part in Airstrikes is nothing more than geopolitical grandstanding. The only way to deal with ISIS properly is through boots on the ground, air strikes alone won't do it.

Cliff

So what we are doing is upsetting a lot of Muslims, in our own country, further alienating them for no other purpose than grandstanding?

On balance- probably not a good idea! *

* and that doesn't mean I'm a Corbyn supporter

Cliff

Did Turkey shoot down the Russian plane just because [they claim] it was in their airspace?

Just as the West and Russia were sitting round the same table discussing joint attacks against IS,  Turkey has succeeded in driving a wedge between us.

Enki

Really rather incredulous we have our current Prime Minister David Cameron already removing Gaddafi's regime and legging it like Bruno, once he'd been removed, The Blair Tribute Act.

Now Cameron is trying to bump the UK into further action alongside Russia, who has entirely different ideas for Syria once ISIS and all other Anti Assad groups are defeated and the rather enthusiastic talks with Russia are massively overplayed.  Aghast at the stupidity, it’s like watching 18 year olds boys in a certain district in Amsterdam, getting rather excited because they might get to engage their missiles.

Turkmens or Turkish they both tell, they are one of the same.

Germinator

Kick Turkey out of NATO, we all know they are supporting IS.  Putin is right Turkey are back stabbers.

Enki

Syrian and Iraqi Turkmens are backed by Turkey.  Syrian and Iraqi Turkmens are engaged in war against ISIS.