Statement on the end of the ceasefire in Syria
The announcement that the ceasefire in Syria has ended only confirms its failure from the very beginning. Even a temporary end to hostilities might have given the chance of some respite for the suffering people of Syria. Instead, the terrible war in Syria has intensified and the Syrians‘ misery has deepened. The battle for Aleppo is causing untold suffering in the city. Attacks on hospitals or other civilian targets by Syrian, Russian or any other forces are appalling atrocities. The ceasefire collapsed because of attacks by a variety of forces in different parts of the country including the killing of more than sixty Syrian soldiers in a bombing by the US led coalition which included British forces.
Foreign intervention, including Western intervention aimed at regime change, has only prolonged and escalated the war. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry’s insistence on regime change as a prerequisite for negotiations has been a key obstacle to attempts to bring peace. A
damning report by the Commons Defence Committee has underlined the failure of British intervention, and highlighted the dishonesty of David Cameron in his justifications for the war. This failure has been compounded by the British government’s refusal to accept significant numbers of Syrian refugees.
This catastrophic war must stop. Increased intervention by the western powers, currently being discussed in Washington and Whitehall, would be a disaster. What is needed is a strengthening of the campaign to end all foreign interventions in Syria, and to stop the fighting immediately.
