John Baron MP: Prime Minister needs to answer key questions tomorrow

MP remains unconvinced by Syrian strikes

John Baron MP is currently in the Middle East with the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), as part of its inquiry into the UK’s rôle against Daesh. John’s party will be returning tomorrow morning, in time for the Prime Minister’s statement on Syria.

John said,

“Our mistaken interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan post-2006 and Libya shared certain failures including a lack of local knowledge and the absence of a realistic long-term strategy. Speaking with regional powers and friends in the Middle East, there appears to be no military and non-military strategy other than bombing raids, which all accept will not by themselves defeat Daesh.”

“On the non-military side, why aren’t we doing more to disrupt Daesh’s business interests and its prominence on social media, and counteract its murderous ideology, both in the West and in the region? At the military level, where is the co-ordinated plan involving identified troops who are going to take and hold Daesh’s territory? The Prime Minister needs to address these and other questions.”

“Soldiers only buy time. There needs to be a political settlement if we are to proceed. Vienna may be a start, but we need greater clarity as to the objectives of the political strategy.”

Ends
Word Count: 229
Date: 25th November 2015

Notes to Editors:
• John has recently written two articles on Syria, online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/12002925/British-air-strikes-alone-will-not-defeat-Isil.html and http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2015/11/john-baron-mp-a-successful-syrian-intervention-requires-a-grand-strategy-and-co-operation-with-iran-and-russia.html.
• The FAC’s recent report on Syria, to which the Prime Minister will be responding, is available online at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmfaff/457/457.pdf.
• John voted against air strikes in Iraq in September 2014, and led the Parliamentary opposition to military intervention in Syria in 2013, whether by arming the anti-Assad rebels or by conducting air strikes against the Assad Government.
• As part of this campaign, he was successful in getting the Government to seek Parliament’s approval before intervening militarily.