Crisis in Syria: Johnson puts military action back on table
MINISTERS are looking at options for fresh military action in syria, Boris Johnson said yesterday.
The Foreign secretary revealed he has summoned Western leaders to a summit in London on sunday to discuss ‘all options’ for resolving the crisis.
Mr Johnson suggested that public opinion was hardening in response to the ‘ pulverising’ of Aleppo by russian forces and said it was time to reconsider ‘military options’.
Last night Downing street insisted there were ‘no plans for further military action’ in syria at present.
But Mr Johnson told MPs he was keen to explore potential military options with allies alongside proposals for more sanctions and initiatives to ease the suffering of civilians.
Us secretary of state John Kerry will join other foreign ministers for the summit which follows the end of a short-lived ceasefire last month.
Mr Johnson made his comments in an appearance before the Commons foreign affairs select committee.
‘Most people, i think, are changing their minds about this and they are thinking “We can’t let this go on forever, we can’t just see Aleppo pulverised in this way, we have to do something”,’ he said.
‘Whether that means we can get a coalition together now for more kinetic [military] action, i cannot prophesy, but what most people want to see is a new set of options.’
The UK’s military action in syria is officially limited to bombing raids against islamic state although some special forces troops are also said to be operating in the country. Britain and the Us have no role in Aleppo, which has suffered weeks of blanket bombing by russian-backed forces.
Mr Johnson acknowledged there was little prospect of a fresh military intervention by the West before the Us presidential election next month. However, he said, it was time to start discussing options.
The Foreign secretary also stepped up the rhetoric against Moscow, urging Vladimir Putin to halt the bombing. He said: ‘if he continues on the present path of barbarism, then russia is in danger of being reduced to the status of a rogue nation.’ Mr Johnson insisted he was not seeking
‘We can’t let this go on forever’
a new Cold War, saying that although Mr Putin’s actions were a ‘very serious problem, ultimately there would have to be dialogue’.
This week, a string of MPs has called for Britain to look at fresh military action to ease the slaughter in Aleppo, including a no-fly zone or ‘no bombing zone’.
But, with russia backing syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad and carrying out many of the bombing raids, any action would be fraught with danger. Tory MP John Baron warned: ‘A no-fly zone or a no-bombing zone could put us in a position theoretically where we have rAF aircraft taking on russian aircraft.’
russian foreign minister sergey Lavrov has a rival meeting tomorrow for countries with ‘direct influence on what is going on’ including the Us, Turkey, saudi Arabia and Qatar.