UK has to strike back at tyrant, say MPs
THERESA May was last night under pressure to expand British military operations in Syria and bomb President Assad’s forces following the chemical weapons attack.
Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said the UK cannot keep ‘turning a blind eye’ to such barbaric atrocities.
Breaking ranks, he told the Mail: ‘We are now standing up to Russia and so we should with Syria.’
His comments were echoed by senior MPs and former defence ministers, who said the RAF should bombard Syrian military installations housing deadly weapons. Ministers believe a parliamentary vote would be needed for the RAF to bomb Assad’s military, as MPs have only given approval
‘We cannot keep turning a blind eye’
for airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State.
In 2013, MPs controversially voted against airstrikes on Assad’s regime in a blow for then-prime minister David Cameron.
But insiders believe the Government could win a vote on action against the regime in limited circumstances should it go before the Commons.
Last April, US President Donald Trump attacked a Syrian government airfield near Homs with 59 Tomahawk missiles following a chemical weapons attack.
Britain was not asked to take part in the strike, but since then RAF jets have taken on a greater role in Syria as the US has diverted war planes to Afghanistan.
In February, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appeared to make the case for UK air strikes against the Assad regime, saying the West must not ‘stand idly by’. He agreed there was a case for ‘ limited strikes’ if there was ‘incontrovertible evidence of further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime or their supporters’.
Last night veterans minister Mr Ellwood urged Britain to do more to stop the suffering of the Syrian people. ‘We cannot keep turning a blind eye to these barbaric and illegal atrocities,’ he said.
‘We are now standing up to Russia and so we should with Syria.’
Former Tory defence minister Mike Penning said: ‘If we’ve got absolutely no doubt that Assad used chemical weapons against his own people again then along with the Americans we should be taking out that capability.’
He said there should be an urgent vote on the issue and was confident MPs would vote in favour of military action.
Tory MP Johnny Mercer said the RAF should help destroy chemical weapons stockpiles if the US ask for help, adding: ‘Anyone with a link to the decision making process of releasing chemical weapons must be deliberately targeted in some way.’ Labour MP John Woodcock said: ‘There is a clear case for further missile strikes against Assad’s forces ... More outraged words from the Government are not sufficient to stop these atrocities happening again and again.’
There are concerns that if Britain was to act against President Assad it could end up in a proxy war with Russia.
But Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said: ‘Standing aside while people are gassed ... doesn’t make us safer.’ Former chancellor George Osborne tweeted: ‘Remember the excuse used by the then Labour opposition and Tory rebels for blocking action in 2013? Syria was getting rid of the weapons. Tell today’s victims that. Votes have consequences.’