EU, US call for resignation
President Obama says the regime’s actions against pro-democracy protesters have cost it all legitimacy.
The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way. His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing and slaughtering his own people, We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way. He has not led. For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside.
UK Prime Minister Cameron, French president Sarkozy and German chancellor Merkel, as well as the EU also demand Assad immediately resign.
Our three countries believe that President Assad, who is resorting to brutal military force against his own people and who is responsible for the situation, has lost all legitimacy and can no longer claim to lead the country. We call on him to face the reality of the complete rejection of his regime by the Syrian people and to step aside in the best interests of Syria and the unity of its people.
Cameron urges Putin to allow access
Cameron asks Putin to intervene so that victims of the crash can be removed from the scene and returned to their countries.
Opening statement of Syria talks
0 CommentsCameron gives opening statement to the House of Commons on Syria Talks. He moves that the crimes against humanity committed by the Syrian Government be deplored by the House of Commons.
I beg to move, That this House: Deplores the use of chemical weapons in Syria on 21 August 2013 by the Assad regime, which caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries of Syrian civilians. Recallsthe importance of upholding the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons under international law; Agrees that a strong humanitarian response is required from the international community and that this may, if necessary, require military action that is legal, proportionate and focused on saving lives by preventing and deterring further use of Syria’s chemical weapons; Notes the failure of the United Nations Security Council over the last two years to take united action in response to the Syrian crisis
Reexamining military measures
Cameron says the government is reexamining the possibility of joining ‘military measures’ U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, and could act without prior approval from Parliament:
If there was a direct threat to British national interest, or indeed, as in the case with Libya when we had to act very, very rapidly to prevent a human catastrophe, the British Government must reserve the right to act immediately and to inform the House of Commons afterwards.
‘Cannot appease Putin’
Cameron says at a closed-door EU summit in Brussels that the international community cannot afford to appease Putin, comparing Russia’s actions to Hitler in 1938. The Italian La Repubblica newspaper obtains details of the discussion:
We run the risk of repeating the mistakes made in Munich in ’38. We cannot know what will happen next. This time we cannot meet Putin’s demands. He has already taken Crimea and we cannot allow him to take the whole country.
Downing Street declines to confirm the remarks, but does not contest the accuracy of the report.
Could launch airstrikes without Assad’s support
Cameron says the UK could take action including launching airstrikes without approval from the Assad government as the regime has no legitimacy under international law:
President Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution. Assad’s brutality gave credence to IS [Islamic State]
He says problems with governance in Iraq also led to the group’s rise there:
… There was an Iraqi government that was standing up for the Shias and not the Sunnis and the Kurds that again left a space for this poisonous organisation to fill
Asked whether a pragmatic deal with Assad is needed in the face of the greater ISIS threat:
In the past just simply saying ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’ has led to all sorts of moral quagmires and difficulties. Assad has been part of the creation of Islamic State rather than being part of its answer.
Won’t resign
Cameron says that he won’t resign if Scotland votes for independence:
I think it’s very important to say no to that emphatically for this reason: that what is at stake is not this prime minister or that prime minister, or this party leader or that party leader. What is at stake is the future of Scotland … I think it is very important for people in Scotland to realise the consequence of their vote is purely and simply about Scotland and its place in the United Kingdom. We shouldn’t try and tie up in this vote the future of Alex Salmond or me.
The Times commentary
Obama and Cameron write in a commentary for The Times that global security is under threat from Russia’s unilateral actions in the Crimea and Ukraine and the ability of groups like ISIS to develop state-like powers:
The growth of technology and globalisation, for all its great benefits and opportunities, has put power once reserved for States in the hands of the individual, raising the capacity of terrorists to do harm. The utterly despicable murders of two American journalists by ISIL are but the latest evidence of a brutal and poisonous extremism that murders indiscriminately and risks exporting terrorism abroa.
Isolationism has no place in the global era:
Of course there are some who say that we shouldn’t get involved in addressing these threats, that in Britain and America we have done our bit for the world and we should leave today’s problems for others to sort out. … First, those who believe in stepping back and adopting an isolationist approach misunderstand the nature of security in the 21st century. Developments in other parts of the world, particularly in Iraq and Syria threaten our security at home.
They say NATO can adapt to the new global security environment, and renew calls for a rapid response force to tackle the Russian aggression and for member nations to commit to spending 2% of GDP on defense. Military, economic and political force must all be utilized:
We know that terrorist organisations thrive where there is political instability and weak or dysfunctional political institutions. So we must invest in the building blocks of free and open societies, including the creation of a new genuinely inclusive Government in Iraq that can unite all Iraqis, including Sunni, Shia, Kurdish, Christian and other minority populations. When the threats to our security increasingly emanate from outside the borders of our Alliance, we must do more to build partnerships with others around the globe who share our values and want to build a safe, tolerant and peaceful world – that includes supporting the partners who are taking the fight to ISIL on the ground, as we have done by stepping up support for Kurdish and Iraqi Security Forces. And we should use our expertise to provide training and mentoring to forces elsewhere, whether in Georgia or the Middle East, strengthening the capacity of forces there to tackle local threats.
The U.S. and UK will continue to lead the alliance:
… It is only by supporting peace, democracy and human rights around the globe that we will keep British and American families safe today.
Global Times editorial
The Chinese Global Times newspaper publishes an editorial warning against the risks of Scottish independence to the UK:
If Scotland gains independence, the UK will descend from a first-class country to a second-rate one, which will once again break the balance within Europe. And its consequence may even wield influence upon international geopolitics. The UK will become the biggest loser if such a scenario transpires. The elite of London have begun to feel panicked due to these potential risks and no longer wear an expression of pride for delivering the fate of Scotland to more than 5 million people through the vote on independence.
Cameron also stands to lose:
If Scottish independence happens, Cameron will likely become a ‘sinner’ of history for the UK.
Condemns third beheading
Cameron:
This is a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker. It is an act of pure evil. My heart goes out to the family of David Haines who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude throughout this ordeal. We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.
Obama:
The United States strongly condemns the barbaric murder of UK citizen David Haines by the terrorist group ISIL.
Emergency Cobra meeting
Cameron chairs an emergency meeting of Cobra, the UK emergency response committee, to decide on the government’s response to the release by ISIS of a video said to show the execution of British aid worker David Haines. Statement ahead of the meeting:
This is a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker. We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.
‘British hero’
Cameron says Haines was a ‘British hero’ due to his dedication to aid work, and says the ISIS militants who executed him are ‘the embodiment of evil’ and do not represent their religion:
We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes … They are not Muslims, they are monsters.
No air strikes
Cameron resists calls for the UK to join the U.S. in conducting airstrikes on ISIS. With the threat posed by ISIS to UK citizens underscored by the group’s execution of Haines, Cameron says the nation will stick with its approach of diplomatic pressure, supporting U.S. action and helping Iraqi and local Kurdish authorities. Televised statement:
As this strategy intensifies, we are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to deal with this threat and keep our country safe. Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle, and ultimately destroy ISIL (IS) and what it stands for. We will do so in a calm, deliberate way, but with an iron determination.
Syrian airstrikes ‘may be illegal’
Officials in the House of Commons Library warn that airstrikes against ISIS in Syria may be difficult to justify under international law, despite Cameron’s view that the Assad regime is illegitimate and does not need to give permission for military operations. A briefing paper prepared for Members of Parliament:
Action in Syria will be difficult to justify legally without a request for assistance from the Assad government, and it is unlikely that the West could be seen to be responding to such a request. The British Government has said that any action in Syria will comply with international law, and the most likely way to achieve this would be to claim that military action is for humanitarian purposes, using the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. This remains controversial, however, without a United Nations Security Council resolution to authorise it.
Daily Record statement
Clegg, Cameron and Miliband sign a joint statement for the Daily Record promising to transfer more powers to the Scottish Parliament if a No vote is successful:
The people of Scotland want to know that all three main parties will deliver change for Scotland.
WE ARE AGREED THAT:
The Scottish Parliament is permanent and extensive new powers for the Parliament will be delivered by the process and to the timetable agreed and announced by our three parties, starting on 19th September.
And it is our hope that the people of Scotland will be engaged directly as each party works to improve the way we are governed in the UK in the years ahead.
We agree that the UK exists to ensure opportunity and security for all by sharing our resources equitably across all four nations to secure the defence, prosperity and welfare of every citizen.
And because of the continuation of the Barnett allocation for resources, and the powers of the Scottish Parliament to raise revenue, we can state categorically that the final say on how much is spent on the NHS will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
We believe that the arguments that so powerfully make the case for staying together in the UK should underpin our future as a country.
We will honour those principles and values not only before the referendum but after.
People want to see change. A No vote will deliver faster, safer and better change than separation.
Cameron speech
Cameron says the referendum is the ‘settled will’ of the Scottish public:
I am a passionate believer in our United Kingdom – I wanted more than anything for our United Kingdom to stay together. But I am also a democrat. And it was right that we respected the SNP’s majority in Holyrood and gave the Scottish people their right to have their say. Let us also remember why it was right to ask the definitive question, Yes or No. Because now the debate has been settled for a generation or as Alex Salmond has said, perhaps for a lifetime. So there can be no disputes, no re-runs – we have heard the settled will of the Scottish people.
He congratulates both sides:
Scotland voted for a stronger Scottish Parliament backed by the strength and security of the United Kingdom and I want to congratulate the No campaign for that – for showing people that our nations really are better together. I also want to pay tribute to Yes Scotland for a well-fought campaign and to say to all those who did vote for independence: ‘we hear you’.
He promises broader powers for the Scottish parliament in Holyrood as well as for Wales and Northern Ireland, and says England should also be a part of that debate:
The question of English votes for English laws – the so-called West Lothian question – requires a decisive answer. So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues and all this must take place in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland.
West Lothian question
Cameron says that while the three main unionist parties at Westminster has promised the Scottish parliament broader powers, the referendum raises the issue of voter representation in England as well as the other countries of the UK:
We have heard the voice of Scotland and now the millions of voices of England must be heard.
He asks Labour whether it will agree to the introduction of English votes for English MPs – the ‘West Lothian question’ – and says that House of Commons leader William Hague will advance the issue in a special cabinet committee. He says the government would shortly say more about the devolution of further powers to the cities and regions of the UK.
‘Scotland Bill promise broken’
Salmond says in his resignation speech that Cameron has broken a campaign promise made by Brown:
I spoke to the Prime Minister today and, although he reiterated his intention to proceed as he has outlined, he would not commit to a second reading vote by March 27 on a Scotland Bill. That was a clear promise laid out by Gordon Brown during the campaign. The Prime Minister says such a vote would be meaningless. I suspect he cannot guarantee the support of his party.
The Queen ‘purred’
While speaking to the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, Cameron is overheard saying that he has never seen someone so happy after he informed the Queen of the Scottish referendum poll results. Recalling that he had called the Queen to say “it’s all right”, he said: “She purred down the line. I’ve never heard someone so happy.”
It should never have been that close. It wasn’t in the end, but there was a time in the middle of the campaign when it felt… I’ve said I want to find these polling companies and I want to sue them for my stomach ulcers because of what they put me through, you know. It was very nervous.
Buckingham Palace declines comment
‘ISIS wants to kill us’
Cameron warns that ISIS is out to terrorize European nations. He says that the terror groups might be having objectives to carry out terror attacks on Western targets like USA and UK.
These people want to kill us – They’ve got us in their sights.
