CORBYN THE UK’S ROLE IN FOREIGN WARS HAS BROUGHT EXTREMISTS TO OUR DOORS
Labour leader says war on terror isn’t working and West must be ‘smarter’
JEREMY Corbyn has declared that the war on terror has failed and the West must find a “smarter” way to tackle terrorism.
The Labour leader insisted Britain must be “strong on terrorism and strong on the causes of terrorism”.
But he used his first major speech since the Manchester attack to claim British foreign policy had contributed to terrorism in the UK.
The Tories immediately accused him of politicising the latest terrorist atrocity.
But Corbyn turned the spotlight on the British foreign policy failures from Iraq to Libya and on public service cuts that have left the Tories trying to provide “security on the cheap”.
He stressed there must be more money for law enforcement but added: “Many experts, including professionals in our intelligence and security services, have pointed to connections between wars our government has supported in other countries and terrorism here at home.”
He also made clear that terrorists were entirely to blame for their own actions and before he spoke, supporters held a minute’s silence in tribute to the Manchester victims. Corbyn said: “No rationale based on the actions of any government can remotely excuse or even explain outrages like this week’s massacre.
“But we must be brave enough to admit the war on terror is simply not working.
“We need a smarter way to reduce the threat from countries that nurture terrorists and generate terrorism.”
Corbyn said deploying the Army on “our own streets today is a stark reminder that the current approach has failed”.
And the former chair of the Stop the War Coalition promised troops that under a Labour government, they would only be sent into combat abroad if they were properly resourced and there was a clear need for military intervention and a plan for lasting peace afterwards.
Corbyn said: “That is my commitment to our armed services. This is my commitment to our country. I want the solidarity, humanity and compassion that we have seen on the streets of Manchester this week to be the values that guide our government.
“There can be no love of country if there is neglect or disregard for its people.”
Corbyn called for quality debate on the issue “without impugning anyone’s patriotism”.
But his comments drew heavy flak from the Tories and Lib Dems – who cut back on police spending when they were in coalition.
Tory Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: “Now is not the time to do anything to subtract from the fundamental responsibility of that individual who committed this atrocity and I think it is absolutely monstrous that anybody should seek to do so.”
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron added: “The choice of today to make a political statement and attach blame to someone other than the terrorist, I think that’s unfortunate.”
But SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: “Foreign policy can’t be a no-go area, it must be something we
can debate.”
Army on our streets today shows current approach has failed
JEREMY CORBYN