Stephen Crabb: ‘ Clearly we have to take action ‘

PLAID CYMRU leader Leanne Wood has said that the Prime Minister has failed to make the case for UK air strikes in Syria and that many unanswered questions remain.
Ms Wood said: “Plaid Cymru has said that it would listen to the Prime Minister’s case for UK intervention against IS.
“From the outset, Plaid Cymru has insisted that UK military intervention could only be considered in the context of an internationally-agreed peace plan for Syria, one that includes winning the peace as much as the military defeat of IS.
“Plaid Cymru has also insisted that a framework backed fully by the UN is essential, including a Chapter VII resolution. The Prime Minister has failed to deliver this.
“We are also dubious of the Prime Minister’s claim that there are 70,000 moderate Syrian fighters on the ground ready to fight IS – a doubt shared by the Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee, amongst many others.
“Dropping bombs from the air will not lead to the defeat of IS. Neither will it the secure peace for the people of Syria or bring stability to the wider region. What is needed is a plan for a process of reconciliation and reconstruction.
“The Party of Wales urges all governments to redouble efforts to secure a comprehensive peace deal for Syria and the wider region. We urge world leaders not to repeat the mistakes of past Western military interventions in the Middle East.
“We call for renewed commitments to support and aid civilians who are suffering as a result of the war, call for pressure to bear on Saudi Arabia and others who are financing IS and we call for practical support for those currently d e f e n d i n g themselves on the ground from IS such as the Kurdish P e s h m e r g a fighters, which must also include a commitment from Turkey to cease attacks upon the Kurds.
“UK military action as currently proposed risks further escalation in Syria and making our own communities at home less secure.
“Unless the Prime Minister addresses all unanswered questions and brings forward a more comprehensive plan, Plaid Cymru cannot support military action.”
On Monday the leader of the opposition in Westminster said that he would allow Labour MPs a free vote on extending British air strikes into Syria. Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to the bombing, and in a letter to Labour MPs said that he felt that Mr Cameron had not explained how the bombings would help Britain’s security.
However, the Shadow front bench team is divided on the matter, with shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn and Tom Watson among those favouring military intervention. Llanelli MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Nia Griffith has said that she is opposed to UK involvement in air strikes, citing the lack of an effective strategy from Mr Cameron as a major factor in this. Ms Griffith said:
“Last week in Parliament I listened very carefully to the Prime Minister making the case for the UK’s involvement in air-strikes on Syria. He spoke eloquently, but it was clear that he did not have an effective strategy for following up the air strikes and bringing the stability that that country so desperately needs. That’s why I spoke up very clearly in Shadow Cabinet against UK involvement in air strikes.
“It is understandable that in the wake of appalling atrocities in Paris, that we should want to do something urgently to combat Daesh / Isis and show solidarity with our allies, but we should beware of simply bombing places like Raqqa in Syria as a knee-jerk reaction, which, as fleeing Syrians have pointed out, would inevitably lead to civilian casualties.
“We all abhor Daesh with their barbaric acts, and their murdering of innocent p e o p l e including m a n y Muslims, b u t military experts h a v e warned that air strikes alone are not sufficient to drive Daesh out of the territory it holds. Far more needs to be done to cut off their supplies of oil and weapons, and to prevent more young people being drawn into their hateful propaganda and radicalisation.
“But in terms of re-taking the parts of Syria they control, we need to have a strategy which includes how and by whom the peace can be secured. The Prime Minister talked vaguely about some 70,000 rebel forces, but they are scattered geographically, and composed of many disparate groups. The Prime Minister could not give us details about their commitment or capacity for taking and holding territory.
“However, we now have signs of a greater determination in the United Nations to tackle the region’s problems, and Russia has shown a willingness to be involved. So where the UK should take a lead would be in furthering the Vienna process, getting commitment from the regional powers and developing a political strategy for the area. That now needs to be the priority. I am not a pacifist, but I shall not be voting for air strikes on Syria.
Ms Griffith’s opposite number, Stephen Crabb, has announced that he is in favour of extending British operations. In an interview shortly after the tragic events in Paris, the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP said: “Clearly the events of recent days have focused people’s minds. I personally don’t know what it is going to take to persuade people further, whether it’s the images of carnage and death we saw on the streets of Paris on Friday night or whether it’s the images of mass graves that have been discovered in Syria or the evidence of rape being used as a weapon of war in Syria, but clearly we have to take action to eradicate the world of this horrific poisonous threat which threatens our lives within this country, this so-called Isil.”
When asked whether ground forces would be required, the Conservative MP reiterated what Mr Cameron said regarding the capabilities of existing forces: “We believe there are troops on the ground to do the job, the Kurdish forces and others who have shown in just recent days how capable they are at defeating Isil on the ground, but the diplomatic strategy is an important one as well.”
Jeremy Corbyn has written to Mr Cameron, urging the Prime Minister to hold a full two-day debate on the subject of military involvement before any vote. It is thought that the Government will not call for a vote unless they are confident of securing a clear majority.