MP secures Urgent Question in House of Commons
Today John Baron secured an Urgent Question on Syria, which obliges a Government Minister to explain policy at the Despatch Box in the House of Commons. This follows suggestions by the Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague MP, over the weekend which seemed to indicate the Government was considering arming Syrian rebels. At present, both EU and British policy has been to supply only non-lethal support.
John said,
“The Foreign Secretary has suggested that the Government might actively arm the rebels. This is quite a shift in Government thinking – what are the reasons behind this shift? Any arming of the rebels can only escalate the violence, so what calculation has the Government made?”
“Moreover, there are credible reports that extremists are fighting alongside the rebels. Human rights groups testify that atrocities have been committed on both sides. By arming the rebels, could we be arming the terrorists of the future?”
“I urge caution. Such a change in policy would be a step closer to intervention, and these rarely go to plan.”
The Minister of State, Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP, explained that the Foreign Secretary is abroad, but will be making a Statement to the House later in the week. However, he suggested that the Foreign Secretary was talking about non-lethal support.
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