What's happened
David Miliband, the UK's Energy Secretary, defends his 2013 decision against military strikes in Syria, countering Health Secretary Wes Streeting's claims that inaction prolonged Assad's regime. Miliband argues that military intervention lacked a clear plan and that Assad's fall was not guaranteed even with earlier strikes.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, Wes Streeting criticized the previous Labour stance, stating, "the hesitation of this country and the United States created a vacuum that Russia moved into and kept Assad in power for much longer." In contrast, Miliband firmly stated, "I welcome the fall of president Assad" and emphasized that military action in 2013 would not have guaranteed his downfall, referencing subsequent US strikes in 2017 and 2018. The Mirror also highlights Miliband's insistence on the absence of a clear plan for intervention, stating, "there was no plan for what this British involvement would mean." This divergence in perspectives illustrates the ongoing debate within Labour regarding the effectiveness and consequences of military intervention.
How we got here
The debate stems from the UK's 2013 decision not to intervene militarily in Syria following a chemical weapons attack. Miliband, then a Labour leader, opposed strikes, while Streeting now suggests that earlier action could have changed the course of the conflict.
More on these topics
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Bashar Hafez al-Assad is a Syrian politician who has been the President of Syria since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and Regional Secretary of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party's branch in Syria.
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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Damascus; Arabic: دمشق, romanized: Dimašq, Syrian Arabic: is the capital of Syria; it is also the country's largest city, following the decline in population of Aleppo due to the battle for the city.
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Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.
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Wesley Paul William Streeting is a British politician serving as the Member of Parliament for Ilford North since 2015, and since 2020 as Shadow Minister for Schools.
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.
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Edward Samuel Miliband is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy since 2020, and has served as Member of Parliament for Doncaster North since 2005.