Words of War
A war of words is underway about whether the UK should participate in the bombing campaign against the mad dogs of the Islamic State in their safe havens in Syria.
In Raqqa, for example, where 'Jihadi John' was taken out in a targeted strike from an American drone missile.
Now people like Jeremy Corbyn say that it would have been 'far better' if Mohammed Emwazi (aka Jihadi John) had been captured and put on trial for his cowardly, murderous crimes, but this would have put the lives of UK or Nato troops at risk.
Not only that, of course, because people like Jeremy Corbyn and his friends in the Stop the War (STW) Coalition would then have complained that western troops were acting unlawfully by taking military action in another country (Syria) without the permission of the Syrian Government.
In my view the arguments about extending military action into Syria are finely balanced - there are no guarantees of success of success and there are obvious risks one way or the other.
But the UK is currently the target of terrorist plots and potential attacks by the Islamic State and other groups who are not waiting for and attack on Raqqa to 'justify' their actions - their murderous intent is aimed at western democratic values and our secular 'live and let live' way of life.
So extending military action into Syria does not make any difference because the Islamists will always find an 'excuse' for murdering innocent people in the name of their religion - or kidnapping young girls in Nigeria or forcing Syrian Yazidi women into slavery.
Talking or negotiating with a death cult like the Islamic State would make as much sense as inviting Charles Manson and the Manson Family round to dinner.
Like most people I can see both sides of the argument, but on balance I am in favour of preventing the Islamic State from turning places like Raqqa into a stronghold from which they can continue to plan and launch further terrorist attacks.
The terrorists don't recognise the international border between Iraq and Syria - and nor should we because if we were to do so, we would effectively be abandoning the Syrian Kurds to their fate in towns like Kobane which has only recently been freed from the scourge of IS.
