With the start of US-led air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria this week, and Parliament due to vote today on British military action in neighbouring Iraq, attention is once again focused on the conflict which has cost so many lives since 2011. When G8 leaders met in Fermanagh last year, they committed themselves to helping to bring…Continue reading Attacking Islamic State vs protecting civilians in Syria?
Tag: Syria
(More) UK intervention in Syria: some additional questions
On the face of it last week was a good week for scrutinising power in that questions from the UK Parliament did ultimately derail the stated desire of the UK government to partake in an imminent attack on Syria (in effect a further intervention given the existing levels of UK support for the rebels). Among those who …Continue reading (More) UK intervention in Syria: some additional questions
Syria: two years on. Between a rock and a hard place.
It’s two years since the start of the Syrian uprising and then civil war. The rising death toll serves as a constant reminder that what started as a peaceful cry for freedom and dignity has descended into a bloody armed conflict – with devastating consequences. Amnesty International has produced two reports, published today, focusing on…Continue reading Syria: two years on. Between a rock and a hard place.
International Criminal Court marks ten years but struggle for justice continues
Sunday marked the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court, an organisation that Amnesty International campaigned to be set up and has both closely monitored and supported in the ten years of its existence. The ICC came into being after years of campaigning by victims and non-governmental organisations from across the globe. What initially started…Continue reading International Criminal Court marks ten years but struggle for justice continues
Syria, Northern Ireland and the UN Prep Com on the Arms Trade Treaty
The final United Nations Preparatory Committee on the Arms Trade Treaty gets under way later today in New York. This opinion piece, published in Friday’s Belfast Telegraph, explains why it is important that UK government leadership on this issue does not falter now. The news from Homs is bad. Hundreds killed in the last few…Continue reading Syria, Northern Ireland and the UN Prep Com on the Arms Trade Treaty