Britain won't join air strikes in Syria: foreign secretary

[jakeXT]

Source: AFP

Berlin (AFP) - Britain won't join the United States in air strikes against Islamic State jihadist fighters in Syria, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Thursday, without ruling out similar action in Iraq.

"Let me be clear Britain will not be taking part in any air strikes in Syria," he said in Berlin.

"We've already had that discussion in our parliament last year and we won't be revisiting that position."

Regarding the wider US military campaign against IS militants across the area they have captured in Syria and Iraq, he said that "we are clear that we will make a contribution".

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/britain-wont-join-air-strikes-syria-foreign-secretary-134754332.html

[bemildred]

1. And the Germans. nt

[KamaAina]

17. Freedom shepherds!

[bemildred]

21. Nice dog. nt

[atreides1]

2. Tha's two

Turkey said no attacks on Syria from their territory, and now the UK will not join air strikes on Syria!

[KamaAina]

18. Turkey?! Looks like we're all having freedom for Thanksgiving!

[DocMac]

20. Brussel Sprouts?

I'll be adding those to the menu this Thanksgiving. mmmm

[ann---]

3. They are

smart. We are asking for trouble. Didn't realize Obama was such a hawk when I voted for him back in 2008.

[brooklynite]

4. Out of curiosity, what would be an acceptable military action?

Or are you taking a totally isolationist position?

[former9thward]

6. Obama said ISIS was "just a JV team".

I am sure the U.S. can handle "just a JV team" by itself.

[totodeinhere]

9. Well we can bomb them in Syria but we know that air strikes alone cannot do the job.

And we will risk having our jets fired at by Assad's surface to air missiles.

[former9thward]

12. So let's stay out.

Easy solution. Stop messing things up more than they are.

[totodeinhere]

13. I agree. That's what my comment was meant to imply. But I fear that

our advice will fall on deaf ears.

[former9thward]

14. As it has for 13 years now.

A total waste of lives and resources.

[ann---]

7. None

We can't afford another war - period. in my view. I'm not an isolationist, but I think we have to pick our battles and this doesn't seem like one we can afford.

[Feral Child]

15. Either/or posts

are an attempted ambush. Crude, actually.

You handled it properly.

[jwirr]

10. Until I listened to MSNBC last night I wanted us to stay out of it and let the Arab nations handle

the problem. I still think that is the best way. However I respect Richard Engel and he was very discouraging about this whole adventure. Said there are no real governments left in Iraq or Syria for us to work with.

Truth no one knows how to handle this area now that bush/cheney have totally upset the whole area. I see a lot of criticism of the action but very little solutions. I feel very sorry of our president. This is the worst problem he has inherited from the raygunites because we better understand how to fix the other problems.

Maybe we should send them a new ruler? Cheney/busie?

[KamaAina]

23. I would say taking out the oil fields that provide them with revenue

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025447150#post2

of course, the Saudis, Qataris, etc. could just step up their funding of ISIL.

edit: Not to mention that the oil companies would go ballistic.

[MannyGoldstein]

25. So the only two options are military or isolation.

Ok.

[brooklynite]

31. Not what I said...

...I asked the poster what his opinion was, and apparently isolation (as I expected) was the only acceptable position.

[villager]

26. There was much we didn't realize about Obama when we voted for him '08

But his first round of cabinet choices made things pretty instantly clear.

And they keep getting "clearer."

[ballyhoo]

5. Great decision by the British. Attacking Syria is the dumbest

thing I have ever heard Obama say. Absolutely senseless. Alfred Nobel is rolling in his grave.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. This^ eom

[TwilightGardener]

11. There's no need for them to do so, anyway. Our targets will be fairly limited, we don't

have ground helpers there.

[KamaAina]

16. Freedom muffins!

[Feral Child]

19. Air strikes in Syria

are a provocation to Iran, they have a mutual protection pact. And, China is involved in the same way.

The hawks have been pushing for this all along.

I don't know that China and Iran will honor their commitment, but I do remember that France and Russia honored theirs to Serbia in 1914. Germany honored their pact with Austro-Hungary, Britain picked a side, as did Italy, Turkey, and Romania.

Oh, and all their colonies and allies, JIC I missed someone.

Are we still going to engage in this suicidal game?

We "won" in WWI because we stayed out till the last minute. Pretty much the same in WWII. This time we're going to start it. Add to that the fact that we no longer have the industry or manufacturing resources we had last century.

China. Huge manufacturing capacity, energy aplenty from their allies. Millions of potential soldiers.

The British apparently see this, as does Germany. Hopefully this will dissuade our folly.

[lark]

22. Is the US the leader of the stupid sect?

It's definitely the leader in killing other people and having a few people (Cheney, Bush Jr. and Sr., oil companies, weapons mfg.s) make a ton of money off these acts. Also the leader in doing stupid things to ensure war continues - ala funding Syrian rebels. ISIS started out being Syrian rebels and look how well that bet turned out for us!

[MannyGoldstein]

24. Don't they realize what Fox News will say?

Idiots!

Regards,

TWM

[Bragi]

27. Is anyone in NATO actively joining the war?

The coalition of the willing may need a smaller meeting room than expected.

[SummerSnow]

28. I can hear it now...

English muffins are now freedom muffins
The following names will be banned in America...Phillip, Harry, Kate,Elizabeth...
James Bond will be replaced by Inspector Gadget
London Fog coats will no longer be allowed

[BuelahWitch]

33. Colin Firth movies banned! Benedict Cumberbatch movies banned!

[karynnj]

29. Britain says they have not taken Syrian air strikes off the table

They pointed out that what Parliament rejected was attacks against Assad -- Obama is speaking of attacks against ISIS. Two very different things.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29163711

I think Hammond replaces Hague just a month or two ago -- it looks like the UK is trying to deny what he said without hurting his credibility.

[tridim]

30. Shhh, you're interrupting their daily Obamasux!!11 orgasm. nt

[jamzrockz]

32. Its called mission creep

remember how airstrikes to create no fly zones quickly became assassination attempts on Gaddafi and his family? I think one of his sons and grandchildren were killed in one of the NATO attacks on Libya's so called air force station.

If you believe this will not eventually lead to attacks on Syrian forces, then I have a bridge in Texas I want to sell you