Bit Of A Climb Down Over Syria....

[Zacs-Master]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10272555/Cameron-backs-down-on-urgent-Syria-strikes.html

[Brenden]

Where is teflon Tony - is he not supposed to be the middle east envoy - heard nothing from him, or have I missed it.

[Zacs-Master]

Escalation emmie. I'm retaliating with 'appropriate force'.

[Sqad]

emmie.......don't know.........Mrs Thatcher unpopular with the electorate turned that into an 84% satisfaction over her handling of the Gulf War in 1982 and one year later a hitherto unelectable Tory Party won the general election.

[naomi24]

Sqad, that's 'cos we succeeded. Can't see that happening in the mess that is the middle east. :o(

[Sqad]

naomi....LOL

[Brenden]

Think it is a different scenario in the middle east now sqad - a tinder box waiting to explode - and the electorate know this.

[Sqad]

Brenden.....I agree.......so give the punters what they crave.....no military strikes.

[Brenden]

Absolutely sqad - until we are 100% certain which side used (banned) nerve gas we should stay out and then consider what is to be done.

[ichkeria]

I think you mean the Falklands War in 1982.
I have a serious problem with the resolution. I don't see how you can take military action which is simply designed to deter Assad from using chemical weapons in the future. If it's possible somehow to destroy his stockpile of them - do it. If it's possible to take limited action such that the war is brought to an early - do it. Otherwise the whole thing is pointless.
Anyway, the much-maligned MP is now seen to be having his/her moment in the sun: forcing the government and indeed the opposition into having second thoughts. Not that their objections seem to have much to do with the issue raised above.

[Sqad]

ichtheria

\\\I think you mean the Falklands War in 1982. \\\

Indeed..thanks.

[SlackAlice]

DC backed off because he realised it wouldn't go his way in a vote. DC and Willie Hague will jump in with both feet later.

[humbersloop]

after eight failed western "interventions" in the Middle East in the last fifteen years, this seems a bit like saying please conduct your intractable civil war in a more civilised fashion. Or we'll bomb you.

[Sqad]

sloopy

\\after eight failed western "interventions" in the Middle East in the last fifteen years,\\

I can only think of 4............what and where were the other conflicts?

[naomi24]

I was thinking Falklands. The Gulf bit didn’t register.

[jno]

I agree with humbersloop. Western intervention on humanitarian grounds always seems a fine and noble cause. But when did it ever work?

I think Colin Powell said about some intervention or other "If you break it, it's yours." Overturn a regime and you then have to sort it out yourself.

[naomi24]

Almost everyone seems to be thinking along similar lines.

[ichkeria]

I'm doing really badly: I can only think of two Western interventions in the Middle East in the last 25 years and one of those was the highly successful first Gulf War. My mind is a blank!

[Sqad]

ich......Gulf War...2 goes at Iran......Libya.......that's 4

Sloopy can get another 4.......although she has yet to confirm.

[ichkeria]

I had forgotten Iran (arguably not the Middle East but close enough I suppose) - tho I can't recall either I must say. Libya isn't the Middle East (tho Middle East/N Africa are often lumped together) and I would in any case class that a success

[jno]

I think the first Gulf war was unfinished, ichkeria, hence the second Gulf war.

But in that case the west had an interest: oil. We have no interest in Syria. It would be nice to stop a hardline Islamist takeover, but bashing Assad actually seems the likeliest way to ensure one