Is The Uk Making A Meaningful Difference In Syria?

[Gromit]

Last December, David Cameron told us that a UK intervention in Syria would make a 'meaningful difference'. The House of Commons overwhelmingly voted to begin airstrikes in Syria, and the RAF completed its first mission there, just a few hours later.

- Have we made a meaningful difference?
- Are we wasting our money carrying out these costly bombing raids?

[mikey4444]

Talbot...typo I'm afraid...meant "haven't", not have.

[-Talbot-]

And your alternative to Assad?

[Khandro]

a good question Talbot; I eagerly await an answer

[ichkeria]

God in whatever form you choose to see him preserve Syria if we really can think of no one but Assad!

Challenging mikey to come up with an alternative is just dodging the issue.
I am sure there are plenty of people better suited to it. We just don't know the names as we probably don't have much of a grasp of Syrian politics
I can't see Syria surving in its current form though.
Can anyone suggest even who our next prime minister is going to be?

[Khandro]

ichy; It isn't only a question of whom, more significantly of what denomination? Shia, Sunni, and the many sub-groupings. Assad and his Alawites was until the uprising, able to keep control of all the different factions, just as Qadaffi and Saddam by being communistic Baathists had. The American thirst for self-serving regime changes is entirely responsible this whole mess.

[ichkeria]

Ignoring the bit about 'thirst for regime changes' which we will have to agree to differ on yes of course it is not easy. There would not have been a civil war in the first place were Syria a model of harmony

[Khandro]

There's some interesting comparison pictures of what Syria was like before (under Assad's full control) and what the uprising and ISIS have produced;
https://www.quora.com/What-was-Syria-like-before-the-revolution
It was a beautiful country, but of course, you had to toe the line.

[ToraToraTora]

Perhaps Saint Tony, the middle east "peace" - yeah I know - envoy, should have a go at running the country. They'd have 600,000 unnecessary civil servants in no time.

[Khandro]

A little more on murdered Christians;
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/12/murdered-christians-2016s-least-fashionable-minority/

[Khandro]

ichy; //Ignoring the bit about 'thirst for regime changes' which we will have to agree to differ on....//
This is not, as you might wish to brand it, RT propaganda, this is straight from the horse's mouth - a new book by Saddam's ex CIA chief interrogator;
https://www.rt.com/news/370696-hussein-removal-mistake-isis/

[Orderlimit]

Recent article Gromit

Former UK ambassador to Syria "Britain's policy on Syria has been "wrong every step of the way""

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38415504

[Old_Geezer]

Every little helps ?

[Orderlimit]

Yes, I think so Mr Old-Geezer but very well done Russia!