Labour supporters feel a profound sense of solidarity with people across the Arab world struggling for freedom and democracy. We have been appalled by the ongoing attacks on protestors and civilians in Syria and we continue to be deeply concerned by the situation in Libya. Following the expulsion of the remaining Libyan diplomats from the UK last week – a move we welcomed – the death of army chief Abdul Fatah Younis on Friday highlights the fragility of the situation.
In Syria, we have seen shocking footage of Assad’s regime’s tanks advancing against civilians and protesters. While there are similarities in the uprisings in Syria and Libya, the approach to each requires a tailored response that draws on the multilateral levers open to British influence.
The world has been too slow in its response to the crisis in Syria. In contrast to Libya, the Syrian opposition is not calling for military intervention. What they are demanding is a tougher and more consistent response from the international community. At the time of writing, the UN Security Council is about to meet. A clear and strong resolution is long overdue. Yesterday’s upgrading of EU sanctions is welcome. Turkey has taken an increasingly clear line on Syria and the UK should use our close bilateral relationship with Turkey to encourage them to take a lead here.
Douglas Alexander and I met the Libyan National Transitional Council when they visited London in May. The NTC offers the best hope as the most representative body of the Libyan people and that’s why we supported last week’s expulsion of Gadaffi’s diplomats from London.
A political solution in Libya will be led by the Libyan people themselves. What we can do is support all diplomatic efforts to achieve such a solution and work with others to plan for the post-conflict period. In the meantime, our military presence remains essential if we are to protect Libyan civilians. When UN Resolution 1973 was adopted, Ed Miliband made the case for our support for this action as part of the Responsibility to Protect, the crucial new doctrine adopted by the UN following the world’s failure to protect civilians in Rwanda in 1994.
Foreign policy will always be contentious but for Labour supporters it will be driven by our commitment to justice at home and abroad and by a desire to achieve multilateral solutions wherever possible. The countries of the Arab world vary enormously and the best policy response will also vary but we should be consistent in our support for people risking their lives for the freedoms we take for granted.
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Stephen Twigg MP is shadow minister for Africa and the Middle East