Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry made a major statement yesterday opposing Western enthusiasm for attacking Syria.
Speaking during a debate on an urgent question posed in Parliament, she demanded that there must be a full and proper independent investigation into any alleged use of chemical weapons by Syria and that there must be a vote in Parliament on any UK involvement in attacks on Syria.
Below is the full transcript of Mr Thornberry's remarks in the House of Commons.
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing this urgent question, and I congratulate my friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth for allowing this question.
“I simply reiterate what he has already said about the terrible bloodshed and humanitarian crisis that looms in Idlib, and the urgency of all sides working to find some kind of peaceful political solution to avert it.
“Mr Speaker, in the short space of time I want to ask specifically how the Government intends to respond if there are reports in the coming weeks accompanied by images suggesting the horrific use of chemical weapons as in Douma, particularly because after Douma the Government acted without seeking the approval of this Parliament, and without waiting for independent verification of the report from the OPCW, and particularly because, if this scenario does in fact occur, the Government may do so over the next month while Parliament is in recess.
“We know from Bob Woodward's book that what President Trump wants to do if further chemical attacks are reported is to embark on a regime change strategy in Syria, and he really needed to thwart that after Douma. (Sic. President Trump's anti-regime change policy is well known. Editor's note)
“British participation would be a hugely significant step, with far-reaching and extremely dangerous implications not only for the future of Syria but for wider geopolitical stability. With that in mind, I expect the Secretary of State to give me two assurances today.”
“First, if there are reports of chemical weapons attacks, particularly in the Idlib area controlled by HTS (Hayat Thalil al-Sham, also known as the Nusra Front), the government will not engage in any military action in response until the OPCW, under the aegis of the Turkish government, has visited those sites, independently verified those reports, and determined responsibility for the chemical weapons used.”
“Relying on so-called open source information provided by proscribed terrorist groups is not an acceptable option.
“And secondly, Mr Speaker, if the Government intends to take such action – action that would escalate UK military involvement in Syria and risk a clash with Russian or Iranian forces – can the Secretary of State assure Parliament that a vote to approve it will be taken before any such action is taken, even if it means convening Parliament?”
In response, Alastair Burt, the British Foreign Office's Secretary of State for the Middle East, completely rejected Thornberry's demands.
