Two thoughts on this: –

1) Have the UK forces been sanctioned by Syria’s government to operate within its borders? No. These UK forces activities breach international law (as too are all western aerial campaigns / interventions, BTW, with the exception of the Russian campaign).

I’m not against UK intervention / military presence, but any action must be done in accordance with international law and at the very least with the authorisation of the legitimately elected government of Syria.

2) Which flavour ‘moderates’ are UK forces assisting? The moderates that ‘only’ chop the head of sick kids, or the other moderates who commit war crimes? There is no such thing as a ’moderate’ rebel.

BTW: –

jambalaya – Member

Yeah right. We should just leave Assad to barrell [sic] bomb and gas Syrians as he sees fit ?

Yes, because barrel bombs (the go-to buzzword for Syria) – even if there is evidence they were ever used BTW – are a far worse way to die than the sophisticated U.S.-made bombs which arrive with little or no warning, killing thousands.

Also, the sarin attack is not a ”slam dunk”.

jambalaya – Member

Yes they [UK presence in Syria, presumably] make a big difference

Indeed, it’s nearly made as big a difference as recent US efforts

(BTW, not picking on you here jamby).

I’m just utterly staggered at the hypocrisy of it, and this is happening all across the region where the west (and everyones favourite sponsor of terror, Saudi Arabia) has become involved (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Sudan – where next?. And don’t get me started on Ukraine.

Why aren’t we (not STW, but the royal we) talking about this more? 🙁 Bread and circuses, innit?

Yes, because barrel bombs (the go-to buzzword for Syria) – even if there is evidence they were ever used BTW – are a far worse way to die than the sophisticated U.S.-made bombs which arrive with little or no warning, killing thousands.

Perhaps there’s doubt about Pol Pot’s killing fields and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia as well,
The thing with barrel bombs is that they carry no identifiable detonator components, chemical composition or serial numbers that can pin them down to a government source.
Funny, that…

Your whataboutery misses my point.

Assad might very well have used barrel bombs – undoubtedly against the myriad of foreign-funded and supported ‘rebels’ – killing innocent civilians in the process, but my point is the utter hypocrisy of this obsession with these crude bombs as being demonstrably worse (and if used in any significant numbers there would be by now some verifiable and independent evidence, see the sarin link for convenient evidence-free blaming) than the thousands who HAVE been killed by US-supplied ordnance, with people continuing to be killed every day across the entire region.

But of course, it doesn’t count when the US does it; they’re the good guys.

Speaking of which, in the last few hours alone we have the ex head of the CIA openly suggesting the US “covertly” kill Russians and Iranians through armed proxies (a sexier way of saying ‘rebels’), and how the US government perverted the course of justice to avoid war crimes prosecutions.

But I’m veering strongly OT, and it’s late.

I am always surprised when I discover how many special forces tactical experts and law of armed conflict lawyers are lurking in this forum.

I am always surprised when I discover how many special forces tactical experts and law of armed conflict lawyers are lurking in this forum.

Did I ever tell you about the time that Woppit and I spent six days hunkered down in a rat-infested barrel in [classified – I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you] eating our own toe nail clippings and licking sweat off each other’s eyebrows while we waiting to call in a tactical nuclear strike on [classified, but you’d know the name instantly] which was called off at the last moment when the target changed destination at the last minute to watch the Wimbledon women’s singles finals instead back in [classified]?

Don’t assume that we’re all deranged fantasists with delusions of inside knowledge. Some of us really do know what we’re talking about… 🙂