The terror dilemma for Corbyn

PrUSSIAN general Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) is famous for saying: ‘War is the continuation of politics by other means.’

The important questions arising out of the murder of 129 people by terrorists in Paris are political.

Will the bloodbath assist our Government to obtain parliamentary permission to bomb Islamic State terrorist strongholds in Syria?

Home Secretary Theresa May says they’ll seek a parliamentary ‘consensus’ for military action against Islamic State.

This puts Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes bombing in Syria, at an immediate disadvantage. If he remains opposed to bombing Islamic State strongholds and a vast majority of his MPs support the Government, he is left dangerously isolated.

The atrocities also isolate those who oppose the Investigatory Powers Bill, which would enable our spies to track would-be terrorists online. Their usual argument that it’s a ‘snooper’s charter’ is a tricky one to make before the Paris funerals take place.