This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/11/russia-should-be-investigated-for-syrian-war-crimes-says-boris-johnson

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Russia should be investigated for Syrian war crimes, says Boris Johnson Russia should be investigated for Syrian war crimes, says Boris Johnson
(about 1 hour later)
Russia should be investigated for war crimes in the Syrian city of Aleppo and risks becoming a pariah nation, Boris Johnson has said, claiming all the evidence shows Russian forces were responsible for deliberately bombing a UN humanitarian convoy. Russia should be investigated for war crimes in the Syrian city of Aleppo and risks becoming a pariah nation, Boris Johnson has said, taking the unusual step of calling for demonstrations by anti-war protesters outside the Russian embassy in London.
The British foreign secretary said “the mills of justice grind slowly, but they grind small” as he predicted those responsible for war crimes in Syria would eventually face charges before the international criminal court.The British foreign secretary said “the mills of justice grind slowly, but they grind small” as he predicted those responsible for war crimes in Syria would eventually face charges before the international criminal court.
Speaking at the end of a three-hour emergency Commons debate on the Syrian crisis, Johnson appeared to reject no-fly zones over areas of the country, saying: “We cannot commit to a no-fly zone unless we are prepared to confront and perhaps shoot down planes or helicopters that violate that zone. We need to think very carefully about the consequences.” Johnson’s remarks underline the degree to which relations between Russia and the west have deteriorated to levels not seen since the end of the cold war.
But, he added, he was sympathetic to those who made the call, and wanted to work through the options with British allies. Making his frontbench debut as foreign secretary, Johnson was speaking in a Commons debate that heard senior Conservatives liken the Russian bombing to the Nazi bombardment of Guernica in the Spanish civil war. There were also warnings that the entire post-war architecture of international relations had been placed in jeopardy.
Johnson said he believed “there could be advantage in ICC (international criminal court) procedures” and that it would be “a terrible terrible failure” if prosecutions were not made. Johnson appeared to reject calls for a no-fly zone over areas of Syria, saying: “We cannot commit to a no-fly zone unless we are prepared to confront and perhaps shoot down planes or helicopters that violate that zone. We need to think very carefully about the consequences.”
“I’m personally very attracted to the idea of getting these people to come before the International Criminal Court. That’s certainly something I would like to pursue,” he said. But, he added, he was sympathetic to those who made the call, and wanted to work through the options with Britain’s allies.
In a warning to those responsible, he said: “Those who are conducting this bombing and in my view culpable of these crimes should realise that the mills of justice grind slowly but they grind small.” The Foreign Office is known to be preparing for a more assertive Syrian policy if Hillary Clinton becomes the US president in January, but senior UN figures have warned that eastern Aleppo is likely to have fallen to forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad by then if the bombardment continues at its present rate.
In another sign of the collapse of Russia’s relations with the west, Vladimir Putin called off a state visit to Paris next week after the French president insisted they discuss Syria.
Johnson called for demonstrations outside the Russian embassy in London and asked why leftwing protest groups seemed to lack the outrage over Russian conduct in Syria. “I would certainly like to see demonstrations outside the Russian embassy. Where is the Stop the War coalition?”
He insisted he was not leading an anti-Russia campaign, pointing out the US had done its utmost to work with the Russian foreign ministry to bring about a ceasefire. The US “had concluded, rightly, that Russia was determined to help President Bashar al-Assad’s onslaught regardless of any agreement”.
He added: “If Russia continues on its current path I believe that this great country is in danger of becoming a pariah nation, and if President [Vladimir] Putin’s strategy is to restore the greatness and the glory of Russia, then I believe he risks his ambition turning to ashes in the face of international contempt for what is happening in Syria.”
A post on the Russian embassy’s Twitter feed said:
Very unusual call from the Foreign Secretary to hold demonstrations in front of the Russian embassy. New form of British diplomacy? pic.twitter.com/rzxUkGyyrQ
The press secretary at the Russian embassy said in a statement later: “The jihadists keep terrorising the civilians and fighting, rejecting ceasefire and humanitarian aid deliveries.
“Britain’s logic implies putting an end to fighting terrorists and their allies. Our logic is different. Fight on to destroy the jihadists, sparing the civilians.”
In a debate that revealed the deep foreign policy fissure in the Labour party, the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, called for the UK to back the escorting of jihadi fighters out of eastern Aleppo, as had happened in Homs. She said a ceasefire could be implemented afterwards if the proposal, put forward by the UN special envoy for Syria, was carried out.
A briefing paper issued by the Labour Party to MPs referred to the possibility that Russia had committed war crimes but only if the targeting of civilians was deliberate. Thornberry said statesmanship, not brinkmanship was required, and that Russia and the US were one wrong decision away from a world war.
Johnson rejected her support for the jihadi proposal, saying a ceasefire had to precede the removal of fighters with al-Nusra, a group regarded as the Syrian franchise of al-Qaida.
Wael Aleji, a spokesperson for the Syrian Network for Human Rights, said: “Homs is not a good example, in fact it is resembles the failure of the international community to fulfill its duties. Using starvation and indiscriminate bombardment to force civilians into surrender is a barbaric action that amounts to a war crime.”
An Amnesty International researcher on Syria, Neil Sammonds, also condemned Labour’s policy. “This shows an astonishing lack of awareness of the international humanitarian law violations and human rights violations committed by regime forces during its attacks on Homs.
“There were clear indiscriminate attacks with Grad and other missiles and probably direct attacks on civilians and civilian areas. Peaceful activists were disappeared.”
Johnson tried to focus MPs’ minds on the possibility of those responsible for war crimes being taken to the ICC, even though the court is not recognised by Syria. He said he believed “there could be advantage in ICC procedures” and that it would be “a terrible terrible failure” if prosecutions were not made.
“I’m personally very attracted to the idea of getting these people to come before the international criminal court. That’s certainly something I would like to pursue,” he said.
He called for an investigation into attacks on hospitals, which he said were being targeted with such frequency and precision that it was “difficult to avoid the conclusion that this must be policy”, amounting to a war crime.He called for an investigation into attacks on hospitals, which he said were being targeted with such frequency and precision that it was “difficult to avoid the conclusion that this must be policy”, amounting to a war crime.
Referring to attack on the UN humanitarian convoy, he said: “All the available evidence therefore points to Russian responsibility for the atrocity and I trust the UN board of inquiry will establish what happened.”Referring to attack on the UN humanitarian convoy, he said: “All the available evidence therefore points to Russian responsibility for the atrocity and I trust the UN board of inquiry will establish what happened.”
The Labour frontbench also rejected no-fly zones and, in a briefing sent to all its MPs, refused to declare that Russia had been bombing innocent civilians, arguing that war crimes could only have been committed by Russia if it was shown that the targeting was deliberate.
The shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, emphasised the need for the 1,000 jihadi fighters linked to al-Nusra in Aleppo to be escorted out of the city, as had already happened in Homs. Her emphasis on the Russian demand for al-Nusra to leave Aleppo angered Syrian support groups.
Johnson said that as long as Russia was still bombing Aleppo, it was unrealistic to expect the fighters to leave, even under the supervision of the the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. He said the ruthless Russian bombardment was “driving people to do anything to fight or resist the Assad regime”.
Johnson called for demonstrations outside the Russian embassy and asked why leftwing protest groups seemed to lack the outrage over Russian conduct in Syria. “I would certainly like to see demonstrations outside the Russian embassy. Where is the Stop the War coalition?”
He insisted he was not leading an anti-Russia campaign, pointing out the US had done its utmost to work with the Russian foreign ministry to bring about a ceasefire. The US “had concluded rightly that Russia was determined to help President Bashar al-Assad’s onslaught regardless of any agreement”.
He added: “If Russia continues on its current path I believe that this great country is in danger of becoming a pariah nation, and if President [Vladimir] Putin’s strategy is to restore the greatness and the glory of Russia, then I believe he risks his ambition turning to ashes in the face of international contempt for what is happening in Syria.”
Johnson said he was prepared to study French proposals that the five permanent members of the UN security council should be prepared to voluntarily waive their veto rights in the cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity.Johnson said he was prepared to study French proposals that the five permanent members of the UN security council should be prepared to voluntarily waive their veto rights in the cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
He also claimed there was “a certain friability” in the European resolve to impose economic sanctions on Russia, pointing out that many Europeans were reliant on Russian gas.He also claimed there was “a certain friability” in the European resolve to impose economic sanctions on Russia, pointing out that many Europeans were reliant on Russian gas.