Syria resurfaces as divisive issue among Starmer government MPs
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Energy Secretary Ed Miliband reaffirms his decision to block UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2013, stating that he does not regret his stance.
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Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband listens as he tours the exhibition area during the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (AP)
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has stated that he does not regret his decision to block UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2013, BBC reported.
At the time, Prime Minister David Cameron sought to launch an attack on Syria after reports alleged that al-Assad had used chemical weapons against his own citizens in Damascus. However, Miliband, who was leading the Labour Party, instructed his MPs to vote against the proposal, which prevented the UK from participating in military action.
Speaking on Friday, Miliband defended his stance, explaining that there was no "clear exit strategy" and that he did not want to risk British troops being placed in "harm's way".
During a Question Time appearance, Miliband’s cabinet colleague, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was not an MP at the time, argued that the hesitation by the UK and the US in 2013 had created a vacuum that Russia filled, enabling al-Assad to remain in power for much longer. Streeting added, "What we cannot say is that the back of Assad is going to lead to a better Syria."
When asked if he agreed with Streeting, Miliband responded, "No, I don't." He explained that, after the war on Iraq, where hundreds of British troops died and thousands were injured, the UK could not commit forces without a clear plan.
He pointed out that even after US President Donald Trump bombed al-Assad in 2017 and 2018, it did not result in his downfall. Miliband concluded, "I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator… but those people who say if only we had taken military action he would have somehow fallen - I just frankly don't believe it."
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In 2013, the proposed action would have been airstrikes led by the US. The motion was defeated by 285 votes to 272, with opposition from Labour, 30 Conservatives, and nine Lib Dems. Following the vote, Cameron acknowledged that Parliament did not want military action and said he would "act accordingly".
Although then-US President Barack Obama had pledged to punish Syria for alleged chemical weapons use, he refrained from acting, partly due to a lack of support from allies, including the UK.
At the time, many Conservatives were frustrated, accusing Miliband of initially supporting Cameron but later reversing his stance.
Reports suggested that Miliband was warned of a potential rebellion from his MPs, many of whom were still opposed to the 2003 Iraq invasion, which reportedly left more than one million Iraqis killed.
The resurface of schism among MPs in Starmer's Cabinet comes after the fall of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the challenges of a new regime under HTS and the broader implications for the Middle East.
