Middle East Policy?
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ShotOne, for a start, IS.
As the days go by, it becomes harder to ignore the genocide that is happening. Whole villages are being murdered - for what reason? A delusion.....
The victims obviously want our help, and with the tragic murder of James Foley, it is obvious that air strikes alone aren't enough.
As the days go by, it becomes harder to ignore the genocide that is happening. Whole villages are being murdered - for what reason? A delusion.....
The victims obviously want our help, and with the tragic murder of James Foley, it is obvious that air strikes alone aren't enough.
I'm certain that somewhere there is an organisation that claims to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, foster social and economic development, protect the environment, and provide humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict. Maybe they should be the police here rather than individual nations.
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The sainted Enoch invited West Indian nurses over by the shipload when he was minister for health in the early 60's.
Just saying...
Re genocide, we stood idly by while around 750,000 Rwandans were literally hacked to death in the 90's. How come we get all hot under the collar now? Could it possibly be that IS are a threat to us? But surely genocide is genocide? Or perhaps not.
Just saying...
Re genocide, we stood idly by while around 750,000 Rwandans were literally hacked to death in the 90's. How come we get all hot under the collar now? Could it possibly be that IS are a threat to us? But surely genocide is genocide? Or perhaps not.
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Typhoon, so what when they melt over the (now non-existent) border to Syria? Do we follow them there and start killing the Syrians if they get in the way? How many British soldiers do you propose sending to deal with Boko Haram,.. then the Lords Resistance Army, both strutting their vile stuff in former British colonies?
I fully appreciate the wish "to just do something" but it's a policy we need not a sound bite.
I fully appreciate the wish "to just do something" but it's a policy we need not a sound bite.
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Shot, understood.
My major concerns are our interests. These people aren't going to stop there, they want to impose their beliefs on everyone else. We have already seen the damage they can do and what they are prepared to do to succeed, on our streets. The Lockerbie bombing, the 7/7 bombings and last year, Lee Rigby was a victim. What next?
My major concerns are our interests. These people aren't going to stop there, they want to impose their beliefs on everyone else. We have already seen the damage they can do and what they are prepared to do to succeed, on our streets. The Lockerbie bombing, the 7/7 bombings and last year, Lee Rigby was a victim. What next?
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The west should aim for a network of secular dictators across the region.
They should have been supporting Assad all along. Maybe western airstrikes combined with a Syrian army ground offensive. Western leaders just need to stop this nonsense idea about regime change in Syria, its that desire and their actions that have massively caused the spread of ISIS in the first place.
Gaddafi could have also been very useful but sadly the west actions in Libya have created another breeding ground for terrorists.
I said it all along, leave Gaddafi in place or Libya will be a disaster.
These western leaders we have are like some kind of sad pathetic joke that lurch from one disaster to another. This whole mess in the region is caused by their own actions. They have not learned a thing, at the end of this they may still try and topple Assad. We really are led by lunatics.
They should have been supporting Assad all along. Maybe western airstrikes combined with a Syrian army ground offensive. Western leaders just need to stop this nonsense idea about regime change in Syria, its that desire and their actions that have massively caused the spread of ISIS in the first place.
Gaddafi could have also been very useful but sadly the west actions in Libya have created another breeding ground for terrorists.
I said it all along, leave Gaddafi in place or Libya will be a disaster.
These western leaders we have are like some kind of sad pathetic joke that lurch from one disaster to another. This whole mess in the region is caused by their own actions. They have not learned a thing, at the end of this they may still try and topple Assad. We really are led by lunatics.
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Typhoon, clearly we're agreed on the priority being our own interests being the priority. But I'm baffled as to how a major UK assault in Northern Iraq (and Syria??) would serve them.
We don't know for sure who was responsible for Lockerbie. The most likely suspect is Iran in revenge for their Airbus downed by the USN. A major motive for 7/7 and Lee Rigby was UK forces invading Muslim countries. How does another one make our streets safer?
We don't know for sure who was responsible for Lockerbie. The most likely suspect is Iran in revenge for their Airbus downed by the USN. A major motive for 7/7 and Lee Rigby was UK forces invading Muslim countries. How does another one make our streets safer?
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Shot, one person convicted for Lockerbie was a Libyan national who was extradited by Gaddafi himself. I recall Gaddafi accepting responsibility but he denied that he gave the order. How that works, I don't know. I'm not sure how a person can extradite two of his own people, one of which was later convicted and then to later claim that he was responsible, but didn't actually order the attack. That sounds a little bit suspicious.
One needs to question why we have used military action in Muslim countries. A cynic would suspect these radicals want to hide their plots because they want to make surprise attacks, which is why they are "attacking in retaliation"....
I oppose any form of military action until the leaders can get their act together. We need a realistic goal and the guys on the ground need to be able to achieve it successfully, with politics that prevents them being kept to a minimum. Lessons need to be learned from the last two major conflicts, in my view.
One needs to question why we have used military action in Muslim countries. A cynic would suspect these radicals want to hide their plots because they want to make surprise attacks, which is why they are "attacking in retaliation"....
I oppose any form of military action until the leaders can get their act together. We need a realistic goal and the guys on the ground need to be able to achieve it successfully, with politics that prevents them being kept to a minimum. Lessons need to be learned from the last two major conflicts, in my view.
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As I said, we don't know for sure who did Lockerbie. Some victims relatives are dubious about the conviction. A bit suspicious maybe but whoever did it, how does it bear on the issue?
Anyone arguing for an assault on IS in Iraq, must surely advance a reasoned explanation for NOT doing so on Boko Harum who are attempting much the same thing in Nigeria.
Btw, typhoon, I agree with your final para, and would like to add my own policy guideline; that we don't remove a regime, however unsavoury, without a clear plan for what comes next.
Anyone arguing for an assault on IS in Iraq, must surely advance a reasoned explanation for NOT doing so on Boko Harum who are attempting much the same thing in Nigeria.
Btw, typhoon, I agree with your final para, and would like to add my own policy guideline; that we don't remove a regime, however unsavoury, without a clear plan for what comes next.
Last edited by ShotOne; 26th Aug 2014 at 08:24.
