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Former ambassador attacks Cameron's 'arrogant' Syria policy Former ambassador attacks Cameron's ‘arrogant’ Syria policy
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David Cameron’s policy towards the war in Syria is “arrogant” and “reckless”, according to a former British ambassador to Damascus.David Cameron’s policy towards the war in Syria is “arrogant” and “reckless”, according to a former British ambassador to Damascus.
Peter Ford has accused the prime minister of demonising President Bashar al-Assad and, as a result, encouraging young British Muslims to become jihadis.Peter Ford has accused the prime minister of demonising President Bashar al-Assad and, as a result, encouraging young British Muslims to become jihadis.
Ford, who retired from the diplomatic service in 2006, attacked Cameron for supporting the armed Syrian opposition and being prepared to bomb government forces after their use of chemical weapons killed up to 1,400 people in August 2013.Ford, who retired from the diplomatic service in 2006, attacked Cameron for supporting the armed Syrian opposition and being prepared to bomb government forces after their use of chemical weapons killed up to 1,400 people in August 2013.
In the end, MPs voted against military action and Barack Obama failed to follow through on his warning that the use of chemical weapons constituted a “red line”. The incident – a key moment in the four-year crisis – was followed by Syria’s agreement to abandon its chemical arsenal.In the end, MPs voted against military action and Barack Obama failed to follow through on his warning that the use of chemical weapons constituted a “red line”. The incident – a key moment in the four-year crisis – was followed by Syria’s agreement to abandon its chemical arsenal.
But the war has escalated since then and is now estimated to have cost 220,000 lives, while international and domestic attention is far more focused on the threat from Islamic State (Isis) than on the future of Syria or Assad.But the war has escalated since then and is now estimated to have cost 220,000 lives, while international and domestic attention is far more focused on the threat from Islamic State (Isis) than on the future of Syria or Assad.
“It was no thanks to Cameron’s war-mongering, rather it was a result of Russian pressure,” Ford writes in a strongly worded article for the Guardian. “It was no thanks to Cameron’s warmongering, rather it was a result of Russian pressure,” Ford writes in a strongly worded article for the Guardian.
“What was Cameron thinking – that decimating the Syrian army would make life harder for the Islamists, who are palpably the bigger and more atrocious threat?” Ford asks. “If Cameron had had his way, the jihadis could be in control of Damascus by now. Where is the accountability?“What was Cameron thinking – that decimating the Syrian army would make life harder for the Islamists, who are palpably the bigger and more atrocious threat?” Ford asks. “If Cameron had had his way, the jihadis could be in control of Damascus by now. Where is the accountability?
“Yes, William Hague [then foreign secretary] took the fall for the embarrassing failure with parliament – after a decent interval he was removed from the Foreign Office. But Cameron is Teflon man here. Having gotten away with bombing Libya (never mind the poor Libyans whose country is now a tragic mess) he must have arrogantly thought that Syria would make a nice encore.” “William Hague [then foreign secretary] took the fall for the embarrassing failure with parliament – after a decent interval he was removed from the Foreign Office. But Cameron is the Teflon man here. Having got away with bombing Libya (with barely a thought for the poor Libyans, whose country is now a tragic mess) he must have arrogantly thought that Syria would make a nice encore.”
Related: Cameron’s unthinking policy on Syria has fuelled the rise of British jihadism | Peter FordRelated: Cameron’s unthinking policy on Syria has fuelled the rise of British jihadism | Peter Ford
Others have argued that the UK erred in not giving sufficient backing to the moderate Syrian opposition from the start in 2011 and failing to match the means to the end of removing Assad from power. UK support to the rebels is “non-lethal”; Ford calls it “aiding and abetting”.Others have argued that the UK erred in not giving sufficient backing to the moderate Syrian opposition from the start in 2011 and failing to match the means to the end of removing Assad from power. UK support to the rebels is “non-lethal”; Ford calls it “aiding and abetting”.
Alistair Burt, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East from 2011-13, has said he believes the US and Britain were no match for Assad’s allies. “The Iranians and Russians and Hezbollah were very clear about what they wanted to do,” he told the Guardian recently. “But their will and determination was not matched on the western side because we couldn’t work out that this was a battle we needed to win, nor how to do it.”Alistair Burt, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East from 2011-13, has said he believes the US and Britain were no match for Assad’s allies. “The Iranians and Russians and Hezbollah were very clear about what they wanted to do,” he told the Guardian recently. “But their will and determination was not matched on the western side because we couldn’t work out that this was a battle we needed to win, nor how to do it.”
Ford argues that Cameron’s “unthinking policy on Syria” has fueled the rise of support for jihadism among young British Muslims. “To call for the overthrow of the secular Syrian government, to demonise it out of all proportions (this is the same Assad after all who was having tea with the Queen in 2006!) and predict its imminent fall, as Cameron and Hague were doing in 2012 and 2013, and then to wail as though it was nothing to do with them when British Muslims set off to help hasten said overthrow, is inconsistent and nonsensical. Ford argues that Cameron’s “unthinking policy on Syria” has fuelled the rise of support for jihadism among young British Muslims. “To call for the overthrow of the secular Syrian government, to demonise it out of all proportion (and remember, this is the same President Assad who was having tea with the Queen in 2006), to predict its imminent fall, as Cameron and Hague were doing in 2012 and 2013 – and then to wail as though it was nothing to do with them when British Muslims set off to help hasten said overthrow – is inconsistent and nonsensical.”
“Now we have a non-policy of saying nothing, shovelling aid at the humanitarian situation and tagging along on American coat tails. Yet to this day our official position remains that Assad must go and the opposition should be supported. As though there was a significant non-Islamist opposition today!” He adds: “Now we have a non-policy of saying nothing, shovelling aid at the humanitarian situation and tagging along on the Americans’ coat-tails. Yet to this day our official position remains that Assad must go and the opposition should be supported – as though there was a significant non-Islamist opposition today.”
The Syrian National Opposition Coalition, which is backed by the UK, US and other western and Arab countries, argues that it needs support in order to defeat both Assad and Isis.The Syrian National Opposition Coalition, which is backed by the UK, US and other western and Arab countries, argues that it needs support in order to defeat both Assad and Isis.
Ford, 67, trained as an Arabist and served in Beirut, Riyadh, Paris and Cairo and was British ambassador to Bahrain as well as Syria from 2003-06.Ford, 67, trained as an Arabist and served in Beirut, Riyadh, Paris and Cairo and was British ambassador to Bahrain as well as Syria from 2003-06.