I don’t want to come across as all Steve Wright (one for the kids, there), but hands up everyone who has mixed feelings about US air strikes on Syria? I am certainly not opposed to taking military action against President Assad following his use of chemical weapons and on the face of it, the US response, in attacking airfields from where Syrian war planes were launched for their murderous attacks. So far, all well and good, but there are other aspects that trouble me about this.
If the response was appropriate and proportionate, we then have to consider the person who authorised the strikes in the first place, President Trump. Then I start to have concerns. Is anyone in any doubt that Trump is, at best, unstable and probably unhinged, too. Since he entered the Oval Office, his statements and, sadly, actions have been utterly reckless at times. His change of heart over Syria – his main international ally appears to be Putin who backs Assad – is bizarre to say the least, however welcome it appears to be. And I am concerned at Trump’s strategy, in the unlikely event that there is one.
Were the Cruise missiles dispatched as a one-off or is Trump going to act again? He’s pledged to defeat ISIS, so is he going to bomb them as well? Oh, actually he already is. Will he combine action in Syria with action in North Korea?
And if this is some kind of humanitarian exercise by Trump, how do you square this with his refugee ban which affects the very same people being gassed by Assad? Honestly, I’m more confused than ever.
I remember going through similar emotions in 2003 when we went into Iraq. I still believe that, sooner or later, the world would need to act over Saddam but Bush and Blair, in my view, went about it the wrong way at the wrong time. My position of opposition was not exactly in the majority at the time as the country got behind, as the Sun put it, “our boys”, in its usual crass Gung Ho style. Those with long memories will remember that peaceniks were small in number and regarded as traitors by the war-mongers in the media and in your local pub. This is why I am so conflicted now.
I am certainly not in the “do nothing” camp where you will find strange bed-fellows like Jeremy Corbyn who will always oppose military action by the west (Labour’s wretched leader was quick to condemn the USA, but far slower to condemn Assad’s chemical attacks – funny that) and Nigel Farage, who helpfully pointed out that Assad was “secular”, so that’s all right then. Ukip’s erstwhile supremo effectively defends Assad by suggesting that apart from being a genocidal maniac he’s someone we can do business with, especially if we want to get hold of some chemical weapons.
Overall, I am more in sympathy with taking action against Assad if, for no other reason, to let him know that the world will not stand by whilst he murders innocent men, women and children. But I am troubled by the fact that it is Donald Trump with his finger on the trigger and seemingly no one to restrain him, certainly not Theresa May’s government which is too busy blowing smoke up his arse as we leave the EU.
One of the main issues with Iraq was that there was no exit strategy. With Trump my fear is that there is no strategy at all.
