We may have to act now
EX-DEFENCE MINISTER’S RESPONSE TO ATTACK IN SYRIA
MILITARY action “should be considered” to protect Syrian civilians, a former defence minister says.
Kevan Jones said the international community should consider using force it if it was the only way to prevent innocent civilians being attacked.
He spoke on Monday as the US, France and UK were considering their response to the suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held Syrian town of Douma.
The attack occurred late on Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces, after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group. It left at least 40 people dead, including children.
Families were reportedly found suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.
Reports suggested more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centres with difficulty breathing and burning sensations in the eyes.
Mr Jones, Labour MP for North Durham, was a defence minister in the last Labour Government, and a shadow defence minister from 2010 to 2016.
He blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, which has been supporting the Syrian government in its fight against rebels, for the attack. He said: “The international community cannot stand by and allow the Assad Regime and its Russian allies to continue using chemical weapons against innocent Syrian civilians.
“If a military response is the only way of stopping this, it should be considered.”
Fellow North East MP Ronnie Campbell urged against military action in Syria, but said that Russia had a responsibility to prevent President Assad committing atrocities
“I don’t think bombing anybody does anybody any good.
“The Russians should winding Assad in.
“I don’t think dropping bombs on them will help.
“We need to be talking to the Russians and saying come on, if they want to be a big power in a civilised world then they have to look civilised.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May, US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have agreed to coordinate a “strong, joint response” after talks by telephone. Mrs May, who spoke to President Macron on Tuesday morning, sidestepped questions about whether Britain would be involved in military action during a visit to Cambridge.
She said: “This attack that took place in Douma is a barbaric attack.
“Obviously we are working urgently with our allies and partners to assess what has happened on the ground.
“If this is the responsibility of Assad’s regime in Syria then it’s yet another example of the brutality and brazen disregard for their people that they show.
President Trump has said an apparent poison gas attack in Syria will be “met forcefully”.
But Moscow’s ambassador to the UN warned of the potential consequences to Western intervention in Syria.
Vassily Nebenzia said US attacks on Syria “could lead to grave repercussions” during heated exchanges at the UN Security Council.
US ambassador Nikki Haley accused Russia of having “the blood of Syrian children” on its hands after Mr Trump said that “nothing’s off the table” in dealing with the alleged outrage.
Mr Nebenzia dismissed claims the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons as “fake news” as he called for inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to fly to Syria to visit the site of the attack.