Statement on the situation in Syria – 6/4/17
The aerial attack on Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province, which, according to many commentators, involved chemical weapons, and which appears to have been carried out by Assad’s forces, is another terrible outrage in the war which has devastated Syria since 2011. Around 60 people were reported dead and there were hundreds of further casualties.
This attack must be condemned along with all the other atrocities of the war. Stop the War has campaigned against the war from the start and this incident only underlines the urgency of a political solution.
It is crucial that the attack is not used as a justification for further Western escalation in Syria. Foreign intervention has only served to deepen and prolong the suffering of the Syrian people. Donald Trump has already committed 1,000 US troops to Syria and intensified the bombing campaign. Further attacks can only inflame the desperate situation.
Across the border in Iraq, the Western backed assault on Iraq has led to a huge number of casualties. It is estimated that US-led coalition bombing raids have killed around 1,500 civilians in March alone and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
It is a matter of grave concern that US foreign policy is under the control of such a volatile, confrontational and xenophobic president. All those who oppose the carnage in Syria and are concerned about the sharpening tensions around the world must raise their voices against more military intervention and demand an end to the fighting.
