DAILY MAIL
For months, we have watched ISIS tighten their grip on the territory and people they control. They are well funded and well organised, strengthened by the chaos of the civil war in Syria and the actions of the disastrous Maliki government in Iraq. They are one of the most barbaric and savage forces we have witnessed in the world since the genocide in Rwanda. They pose a direct threat to the lives of civilians who oppose their hard-line religious views, they destabilise further an already volatile region and they will increasingly create young jihadists who will find their way to countries like our own.
The idea that this is not our problem is wishful thinking at best, and catastrophic complacency at worst. Yet, in the face of all the evidence, there has been policy paralysis in the West. Where we have needed leadership we have found a vacuum. Certainly, public opinion is split over any military action, understandable after the protracted conflict in Iraq, but this is an occasion where we need to lead public opinion, not follow it. The consequences of allowing an extremist caliphate to be formed, stretching from Syria to the borders of Iran are almost unthinkable. Not only would it bring further horrors to innocent people, the likes of which we have seen graphically in the last few weeks, but it would potentially risk a full scale Sunni – Shia conflict with profound economic consequences for us all.
Those who say we should have nothing to do with the conflicts in the region might want to think about the effect on oil prices in the event of a clash involving Iran or Saudi Arabia. If the global economy were to suffer another oil shock, the price, for the poorest countries in particular, could be disastrously high. Perhaps worst of all, a fundamentalist caliphate would be a magnet for jihadists around the world and it would soon be used as a base from which to export terrorism and extremism.
So, we need to be clear, ISIS are our enemy and need to be defeated. Either we use our military power to degrade and diminish their military capabilities, so that the countries in the region are able to deal with them effectively, or we can ensure that we supply our allies in the region with the equipment and knowledge they need to do the job themselves. In all likelihood, we will have to do both. A half-hearted and ineffectual intervention will only increase the suffering of those caught up in the nightmare of ISIS and increase the risk of a widening crisis. The US government has made a belated, but welcome, decision to use American air power to hit ISIS bases. We should be willing to do the same if asked. Sending humanitarian aid is right but if we are leaving the vulnerable unprotected from the military terror of the ISIS forces then our help is superficial.
There are, of course, risks involved with any outside intervention but those who think that we will be left alone by the fanatics if we are not seen to be taking a side, are fooling themselves. In the West, we need to understand that Islamist fundamentalists hate us, not just because of what we do, but because of who we are. Our systems of law and government and our concept of rights, especially women’s rights and religious tolerance, undermine their very existence in the long-term. There is not going to be a cost free option available in a situation which has already been allowed to continue for too long but the cost of failing to act could be higher still.
THE SUN
There is, predictably, a range of voices being raised for the recall of Parliament to discuss the apparent firestorm of conflicts around the world. It is perfectly valid to have Parliamentarians discussing the big issues of the day but we do not need Parliament to be recalled – we need the Government to act.
Last year’s disastrous vote on the use of chemical weapons in Syria weakened our ability to influence world events. Our allies in important areas such as the Gulf doubt our resolve and our enemies have been emboldened as we have seen in the Ukraine and Crimea. Talking without acting was worse than doing nothing as it made us look indecisive and impotent.
In the Middle East, the situation in Gaza must be solved politically between the parties involved. There is no military role for us there. The ISIS threat, however, does need to be dealt with militarily by a combination of the countries in the region and the Western powers. The countries who intended to fund one side of the Syrian civil war, but have ended up bankrolling ISIS, need to stop. In the West, we need to understand that Islamist fundamentalists hate us, not just because of what we do, but because of who we are. We must be willing to stand up for our values and way of life just as much in the face of Islamist threat as we were willing to do against fascism and communism.
Sadly, peace and stability are not the normal state of affairs in the world – every generation has to strive for them and protect them. Bullies such as Putin and the brutish regime he leads respect strength and consistency. Weakness will be pounced upon. We failed to act appropriately against Russia’s cyber attack on Estonia, the cutting off of Ukraine’s gas or the invasion of Georgia.
Appeasement has always had a bad track record and it is no different today. The NATO summit in Wales next month is an opportunity to show that the vision and courage of those who founded the Alliance are still alive today. In the face of the ISIS challenge or Russian threat we need concerted action, not just warm words. Rhetoric will not protect those who are being slaughtered today by ISIS or living in fear of Russian aggression. We may not like the options on the table, but failure to stand up to threats today will not bode well for tomorrow.