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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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18Jul13
Syria crisis: no option off the table, says Hammond
No option is being taken off the table when considering how best to approach the situation in Syria, the defence secretary has said.
But Philip Hammond said it appeared unlikely that British troops would be deployed in the country.
Hammond's comments come after the outgoing head of the UK's armed forces said Britain risks being dragged into war with Syria if it tries to rein in the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and arm rebels.
General Sir David Richards, chief of the defence staff, on Thursday officially handed over the role to General Sir Nicholas Houghton at a parade in central London.
Gen Richards agreed that no option was being taken off the table, but admitted that if it was found that chemical weapons were being stockpiled, Britain would have to act.
Last week British spy chiefs warned that Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons could fall into the hands of al-Qaida militants if Assad was toppled, with potentially "catastrophic" consequences.
The parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC), which oversees the work of the spy agencies, said there was "serious concern" about the security of the "vast stockpiles" of chemical weapons amassed by the regime.
Hammond, who attended Thursday's parade and commended Gen Richards' time as armed forces chief, said: "I think it's very unlikely that we would see boots on the ground (in Syria), but we must never take any of the options off the table.
"The military role and the Ministry of Defence role is to plan for contingencies.
"It's not our job to decide how and when and if to deploy forces in any particular role, but to make sure that the prime minister and the national security council have the maximum range of options open to them so that they can use military options as part of a much broader palette of diplomatic and political initiatives to try to achieve what we all want to achieve, which is peace and stability in that region of the world."
On Thursday, Gen Richards described the situation in Syria as a "huge humanitarian tragedy" and said the first thing to do was to contain the situation better, particularly in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan.
"First of all the UK won't do anything by itself; it will act with allies, in particular with the USA," he said.
"We are not taking anything off the table, but we are being very cautious for reasons I am sure everyone will understand."
Asked if Britain would have to get involved to clean up chemical weapons, he added: "I think if that sort of thing happened we'd almost invariably have to become involved in all our interests but most important for the people of Syria."
David Cameron told ITV News, when asked if Britain was preparing for war in Syria: "No, what we are doing is we are helping the Syrian opposition - the official opposition who I think represent, and the EU has decided represent, the legitimate concerns of the Syrian people.
"We are helping them with training, with advice, with support, because we want to give the mainstream majority in Syria who want a peaceful, democratic, pluralistic Syria to have a proper future. That is what we should be doing."
The prime minister's spokesman also said, at a briefing in Westminster, that there could be no "military victory" in Syria, and the focus must be on a political resolution.
"Our objective here is to bring an end to the sufferings of millions of innocent civilians and support those who want to build a peaceful democratic and inclusive Syria," he said.
"We certainly share General Richards' view that this is a very complex situation in Syria and that there are a number of different challenges.
"But we will continue to work hard with our allies to find a political solution because that is the right way forward."
Sir Menzies Campbell, who is a member of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: "David Richards' frank assessment confirms what many of us have suspected.
"The government, and particularly Number 10, would be well advised to heed his timely and well-judged warning, which is believed to reflect opinion in the wider military."
Gen Richards, 61, steps down after a career of more than 40 years in the British army.
He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1971 and served in Northern Ireland, Germany, East Timor, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, where his role as head of the international security and assistance force (Isaf) made him the first British general to command American troops since the second world war.
He handed over formally on Thursday to General Houghton, who served as his deputy as vice-chief of the defence staff up until May, at the end of three years in the post in a ceremony at Horse Guards Parade attended by personnel from all three services.
Hammond praised his "long and distinguished" career in the military and said Gen Houghton faced challenges as the armed forces and Ministry of Defence go through a period of transformation.
"These are really very challenging and exciting times and Nick Houghton has been involved in this process from the beginning as the vice -chief of the defence staff and I know that he will carry this work on as the chief of the defence staff."
Gen Richards said: "I have enjoyed my service more than I could possibly have hoped. It has provided me with challenge, interest and the opportunity to make a positive difference to many people's lives, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan and lots of places in between.
"I retire now with a huge sense of the privilege I have had to serve this nation as a soldier for 42 years, to serve Her Majesty the Queen, and to serve my comrades whom, on occasion, I have had the joy to lead."
He said there were lots of challenges for his successor Gen Houghton, including counter-terrorism, the growth of cyberwar, and problems in the Middle East.
"There's lots for him to do, he's a fantastic bloke, and then there's money, you've got to make sure it all adds up. But I'm content I leave the armed forces certainly in much better shape than we thought might be the case even a year ago."
Gen Houghton, who was the senior British military representative in Iraq between 2005 and 2006, said he hoped for a good outcome in Afghanistan, and hoped to give to the government "as wise a counsel as possible" about how to use the armed forces.
He said: "This is an occasion to recognise the responsibility for the leadership of our nation's armed forces.
"Although today is not about individuals or our private thoughts, it should be no surprise that David and I both share the same sense of the enormous responsibility and privilege which our appointment bestows."
[Source: The Guardian, London, 18Jul13]
 | This document has been published on 19Jul13 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |