Local Labour unanimously opposes Syria bombing
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
The following statement has been sent to the HebWeb by Cllr Susan Press on behalf of Calder Valley Constituency Labour Party
Calder Valley Constituency Labour Party voted unanimously at its meeting this week to join with our Leader Jeremy Corbyn in opposing the Prime Minister's plans to bomb Syria. This decision followed a discussion on the lessons we should learn from previous involvement in the Middle East and the consequences of military action.
We share the worldwide horror at the atrocities committed by ISIL/ Daesh and recent tragic loss of life in Paris and brutal murders of thousands in Syria and beyond in recent years. But we do not believe this Government's strategy will do anything to make the world a safer place – it can only serve to radicalise and fuel fundamentalist terrorism.
The experience of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya shows that Western military interventions lead to large scale casualties, devastating destruction and huge flows of refugees.
We believe the case for UK involvement has not been thought through and will only increase the humanitarian crisis and increase loss of life. The current rush to bomb Syria following the terrible events in Paris risks a dangerous escalation which will inflame the war there and increase bitterness against the West.
The US has been bombing Isis for a year and admits that Isis is as strong as ever and has continued recruiting. We also urge the government to stop arming reactionary and aggressive regimes like Saudi Arabia and Qatar that sponsor terrorist groups and look for political solutions as the only viable way to end the conflict.