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will there need to be more vigorous intervention in Syria?

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will there need to be more vigorous intervention in Syria?

Alex Helling's picture
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Joined: 13 Sep 2011
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Syria has been condemned by the UN observers in the country for using heavy weaponry on the town of Houla. The attack killed at least 108 people including 49 children and 34 women. Understandably this has led to questions about Kofi Annan’s peace plan that seems not to be working, if there are massacres on such a scale can it really be said that there is peace?

The United Nations has responded with statements condemning the killings saying "Such outrageous use of force against civilian population constitutes a violation of applicable international law." However it is unlikely that the UN will be able to agree to do much more than condemn as any action would require Russian and Chinese backing. The slow wheels of diplomacy may eventually result in sanctions but is there a need to go further and a coalition of the willing to do as it did in Libya and openly support the rebels?

Debatabase debate: This House believes that the west should invade Syria. http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/peace-security-human-rights/house-believes-west-should-invade-syria

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18227556

51 weeks 1 day ago
Alastair Stevens's picture
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Joined: 21 Mar 2012
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We all have enough problems at home without launching interventions on the other side of the world against someone who is no threat to us.

Both Europe and the US need to be concentrating on the econpmy and getting it working again. Interventions come a long way down the que of priorities. Yes it is good to advance democracy but this is something for the Syrian people to decide on not the United States or Europe we should not be butting into their affairs unless there are clear national interests at stake.

51 weeks 1 day ago
KateDebate's picture
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Joined: 27 Mar 2012
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If no one else can help then the west has to. Surely it is in our interest to prevent massacres of women and children such as this one in Houla?

51 weeks 10 hours ago
Alastair Stevens's picture
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There is no such thing as a humanitarian interest to help other states. We have no business poking our noses in the business of Syria. The only concievable reason for US or European intervention would be if their NATO ally Turkey was being threatened by the fighting, in which case it might be necessary to help set up a buffer zone.

51 weeks 5 hours ago
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