UK Government to join Military Coalition in Syria

Leaks indicate military action by the UK has now recieved Government approval, pending a House of Commons vote.

As of 3 PM this afternoon, it has been confirmed that the Government has made the decision to participate in a coalition of forces to protect Kurdish positions in Syria. The coalition has formed as a direct response to the actions of Turkey against the Kurdish people, who have been critical in the fight against Daesh. The coalition will also be seen as a sign of continued support for the UK’s current policy of support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whom foreign aid is being funnelled through.

The most intersting aspect of the story so far is that the coalition is confirmed to feature France and the United States – the latter of whom perhaps shoulder a portion of the blame for Turkish aggression in withrawing US troops from the area.

The new coalition will likely take centre stage at the upcoming Urgent Questions on the topic, submitted jointly by the Conservative Party and The People’s Movement. The Urgent Questions session will almost certainly be transformed from yesterday’s expectation of a discussion of foreign aid and diplomacy, into one of military strategy and the use of force.

There is also the distinct possibility that Turkey’s position in NATO may fall under scrutiny, as member states seem poised to practically go to war against one another as a result of Turkish actions against the Kurdish people.

As a breaking story, The Guardian will release more news as more information is brought to light. Stay tuned!

Update 4:57 PM: A second Government Source has been in contact, confirming the previous statement that the Government does intend to submit a formal motion to Parliamento to approve any military action.

Update 5:15 PM: Former Prime Minister InfernoPlato has sent The Guardian the following statement: “I am very concerned by the leaked announcement by the government. This would be sending troops into Syria, possibly for years, with no end goal in sight but to protect Kurdish positions. It would be not just extremely expensive and liable for mission creep, but it would result in possible war with Turkey as well as a de facto war with Syria, whose sovereignty we would have to violate in order to send in troops. The operation stinks of Iraq War 2.0 where a Labour PM chooses to violate the UN Charter and the UN Security Council in a move that is said to protect citizens, but will ultimately put us on a collision course with the rest of the world and would destabilise the Middle East even more.”

Update 5:20 PM: Statements continue to be made, this time from The People’s Movement: “The People’s Movement’s stance regarding Rojava is that Britain should send a deployment of troops to defend Rojava’s border with Turkey, and to defend Raqqa from Daesh. We believe that British forces should not perform offensive actions unilaterally, but rather tactical decisions should ultimately be made by the SDF.”

Update 6:27 PM: The Scottish Green Party has released a statement on the developing situation on Syria.