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Damascus gas attack - who did it and how will the west spin it ?
FURIOUS politicians have demanded Prime Minister David Cameron explain why chemical export licences were granted to firms last January – 10 months after the Syrian uprising began.
what a surprise
That's a rather sensationalist headline; British firms sold chemicals that could have then been used as part of a chemical weapon. There is no proof that they were used in such a way. And the export licences were revoked as soon as the EU sanctions were applied.
This is a non-story.
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Lord Ashdown was interviewed on Sky News this morning and I think he summed up what many of us think after last night's vote:- (Scroll down the videos on the right hand side of the page- it's the second video down).
I agree with him that it is shaming that we should stand idly by whilst Assad slaughters his own people. We might as well just dispense with our armed forces and have done with it.
But Pee, did you say that after he killed the first 10,000? Or after the first 20,000? Or the first 50,000? When did you think to intervene?
It's too late to do anything now. The civilians must trek to Jordan or Lebanon, let the armed men fight it out to the end.....
[QUOTE=french frank;326454] Blairite has left Miliband's Labour party.
Wonderful !
I am so glad the Labour party forced Milliband not to support the government. Perhaps the Labour leadership will now finally escape from the political cowardice that it has so far suffered under Milliband and Brown before him.
Is Obama seeking a way out by asking congress to vote on military action ? hoping they might prevent an attack since the US coalition is now unravelling so fast and he needs more allies than just France to launch an attack.
So is Obama seeking a way out of this unwise course that he was persuaded upon by Hollaninde and (ironically now) Cameron ? or is he genuinely seeking backing from congress.
That's a rather sensationalist headline; British firms sold chemicals that could have then been used as part of a chemical weapon. There is no proof that they were used in such a way. And the export licences were revoked as soon as the EU sanctions were applied.
This is a non-story.
You need "proof" ?
now that's a change
why not bomb them back to the stone age first ?
But Pee, did you say that after he killed the first 10,000? Or after the first 20,000? Or the first 50,000? When did you think to intervene?
It's too late to do anything now. The civilians must trek to Jordan or Lebanon, let the armed men fight it out to the end.....
Pee, I didn't get a reply from you yesterday!
And at what point would you have decided enough was enough? Apparently even the use of chemical weapons, outlawed by the Geneva Convention, is not enough to convince you that action is required. You seem to want to have it both ways- on the one hand you seem to be saying that we shouldn't get involved, and on the other you imply that we have waited too long.
One thing we can all agree on, surely, is that military intervention should be a last resort. But when Assad starts using chemical weapons- WMDs- against his own people, and bombs a school with napalm, then, as Obama said, he has crossed the line, and that last resort becomes a justifiable response.
By the way, I saw some burglars break into my elderly neighbour's house last night and they beat her up. But you know what- I took my lead from the House of Commons, and decided it was nothing to do with me.....
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
By the way, I saw some burglars break into my elderly neighbour's house last night and they beat her up. But you know what- I took my lead from the House of Commons, and decided it was nothing to do with me.....
I saw that too
so I set fire to a house on the next street
can't let them get away with it
that'll teach em ...........
Ashdown - “In 50 years trying to serve my country I have never felt so depressed/ashamed. Britain's answer to the Syrian horrors? none of our business!”
Ho, ho Mr Ashdown is ashamed that we have decided not to bomb Damascus killing how many thousands more in this civil war.
Ashdown - “In 50 years trying to serve my country I have never felt so depressed/ashamed. Britain's answer to the Syrian horrors? none of our business!”
Ho, ho Mr Ashdown is ashamed that we have decided not to bomb Damascus killing how many thousands more in this civil war.
You seem have access to secret details of any proposed military action. Do tell us more.
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
The discussion can continue when you answer the question!
I did answer the question, but since you seem incapable of understanding my answer, I will simplify it for you.
The line was crossed when the Assad regime killed almost 1,500 civilians by the use of chemical weapons, which are outlawed under the terms of the Geneva Convention.
Got it?
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Directing insults at Paddy Ashdown seems to me a fairly pointless activity. He is a cheap and easy target, and maybe even a deserving one. But perhaps those who apparently think that kind of thing is a useful contribution might like to try their hand at invective in a slightly trickier case (and I don't mean "Abbott".)
Directing insults at Paddy Ashdown seems to me a fairly pointless activity. He is a cheap and easy target, and maybe even a deserving one. But perhaps those who apparently think that kind of thing is a useful contribution might like to try their hand at invective in a slightly trickier case (and I don't mean "Abbott".)
Well done for attempting to return discussion to the important issues, JimD. I saw that story yesterday, which got me investigating Hand in Hand for Syria, and thence to the MRDF and Islam21c - which was saying the opposite of Dr Rola (though I'm not sure whether there has been a revised views since the discovery of the use of chemical weapons). But you are right: it isn't just the hawkish ex-military who want western military intervention; but nor are they united.
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.
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