From Julian Critchley, Island Labour Party, Ryde:

I NOTE your article (CP online) in which Bob Seely MP spoke out against British action in Syria.

Bob is absolutely correct to do so and should be congratulated for his willingness to defy his Government’s line on this.

It is often the case one can find people, particularly, but not exclusively, on the left of politics, who argue all conflicts elsewhere are somehow the fault of “the West”, especially the UK and USA.

It is equally the case one can find people, particularly but not exclusively, on the right, who argue the same countries, somehow have a responsibility to intervene militarily in conflicts elsewhere.

Both these positions seem to me to stem from a rather blinkered Anglo-centrism which denies agency and responsibility to other countries and assumes a pseudo-imperial role in a post-imperial world.

Syria is a ferociously complex situation. A proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran lies at its heart, but there are other agendas being pursued by regional powers including Turkey, Israel and, of course, both the USA and Russia.

The Iranians support the Assad regime while the Saudis funded and armed Assad’s opponents, including terrorist extremist groups such as Isis.

The main American client group in the area, the Kurds, fought Isis, yet those same Kurdish forces are themselves being attacked by the US and British ally, Turkey.

The Iraqi government has also provided support to Assad, despite it being propped up largely by the USA who oppose Assad.

It was only a short time ago that Iraqi, Kurdish and US troops successfully campaigned against Isis, which was simultaneously fighting Assad while supported by Saudi Arabia, the USA’s key ally in the region.

This is not, despite much jingoistic national media coverage, a simplistic situation in which there is an obvious solution.

The suffering of the Syrian people is appalling to witness. We would be inhuman if we did not feel the desire to assist in any way we can.

However, we should all beware politicians and bar-room generals who reach too quickly or glibly for guns and bombs.

I am glad Bob is not one of those politicians.