On Saturday, my husband Chris and I joined the thousands of people outside 10 Downing Street, urging the government not to bomb Syria.
As we stood listening to speaker after speaker remind us that David Cameron’s plans lack coherence, that bombing will hurt the people it’s supposed to save, that it is likely to breed yet more terrorists, I was overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. We have been here before, so many many times.
Fourteen years ago, I stood in the same place in a much smaller crowd that was asking Tony Blair not to invade Afghanistan. Then, just as now, we were all reeling in the wake of a horrific attack on Western civilians. Then, just as now, we were told that we had to do something to support our allies, stop the threat, prevent further atrocities. Then, just as now, we were misled by politicians.
In 2001, the story was that we had to invade because the Taliban refused to hand over Osama Bin Laden. In fact they were willing to negotiate using the extradition treaties that were in place. Today, we are told that there are 70,000 Free Syrian Army fighters ready to liberate their country once we’ve bombed a pathway to peace. Something described as ‘straightforward deceit‘ by Peter Ford, the former Ambassador to Syria. And of course, in between, we had the infamous ‘dodgy dossier’ to persuade us why war in Iraq was inevitable.
We know now where such lies have led us – endless war. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya have been invaded, occupied, and left in a far worse state than they were before, with hundreds of thousands of people dead, the majority of them civilians.
It is depressing that, despite these past failures, so many MPs, still believe we can precision bomb the nasty people without hurting any innocent civilians. And that a lack of planning for the next steps won’t matter. And it is depressing that although 75 per cent of the Labour party are against the air strikes, it is possible that enough Labour MPs will support the government for the bombing go ahead.
Opponents of war are often considered ‘naive’ by those proposing bombing and yet, on this occasion, it is not just anti-war campaigners who are calling for political solutions. Ex-Nato General Sir Richard Shirreff , has argued that they will be ineffective, as has the Conservative MP Julian Lewis, head of the Defence Select Committee. Whilst, despite its universally negative coverage of the Labour leader, even the Daily Mail is reluctantly supporting Jeremy Corbyn.
Two years ago, Parliament surprised me by voting against bombing President Assad, so it is still possible that MPs will surprise me again. I think it unlikely though, and by the weekend, RAF planes could be in the crowded Syrian skies, joining in a futile campaign that will result in more death, more destruction with no end in sight.
When will we ever learn?
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© Virginia Moffatt is Chief Operating Officer of Ekklesia