Syria: Cameron forced to drop timetable for strikes by Miliband

[FarCenter]

Source: Daily Telegraph

Mr Cameron recalled Parliament tomorrow with the intention of giving MPs a vote on military action in response to last week's suspected deadly gas attack by the Assad regime.

However, in a phone call at 5.15pm tonight, Mr Miliband told the Prime Minister that Labour could not support British involvement in international missile strikes without more compelling evidence and a clear legal basis to act.

The Opposition leader said he could not allow his MPs to support a government motion which would have paved the way for an expected two-day bombardment of cruise missiles beginning this weekend.

Instead, the United Nations weapons inspectors must be allowed to complete their work analysing evidence from the scene of the suspected chemical attack, and present their findings to the UN Security Council for a vote, Labour said.


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10272339/Syria-Cameron-forced-to-drop-timetable-for-strikes-by-Miliband.html

[atreides1]

1. Finally

A little bit of sanity prevails!!!

[GeorgeGist]

2. Sounds like Cameron's hair-on-fire ...

Got smothered by cooler heads.

[Downwinder]

3. The new WH puppy just got spanked.

[Pab Sungenis]

4. Now if only Clegg showed some backbone

this could be the vote of no confidence that brings down the Conservative led government.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Good.

I had a feeling Miliband would do this when he was interviewed here yesterday and he made it clear he expected UN backing for action. It won't be his motive for doing this but it should buck up his ratings.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Hague is backtracking too

probably as a result of the subject of the OP.

William Hague plays down imminence of Syria attack as UN seeks more time.

William Hague has played down the prospects of an imminent attack on Syria, saying talks about the crisis could go on at the United Nations "over the coming days".

>

Sources in London and Washington have been suggesting that a limited attack could take place before the end of the week, but Britain's desire to show that it is not ignoring the UN could put that timetable in jeopardy.

Earlier, at a news conference in The Hague, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said UN weapons inspectors needed four more days to complete their work investigating the chemical weapons attacks in Damascus; they are now on their second day.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/syria-crisis-labour-cameron-commons

[Little Star]

7. "Britain's desire to show that it is not ignoring the UN could put that timetable in jeopardy."....

Good. They shouldn't ignore the UN/UN Inspectors. Not letting them finish their job is how we got into Iraq on a bunch of lies.

Never again. I hope.

[elehhhhna]

8. Meanwhile, our Congress has abdicated.

[KoKo]

9. Fingers Crossed...but, wonder if the arm-twisting with bits of candy thrown in

will prevail.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. Yes, where's the proof of any of these claims.

[David__77]

11. Obviously, the more delay the better.

The more time for Syria to prepare so as to mitigate the impact of any potential aggression, the more time for cooler heads to prevail, the more time for Russia and other countries opposed to intervention to apply their own counter-pressure.

[dipsydoodle]

12. PM concedes vote on military action should await UN chemical weapons report.

David Cameron was tonight forced to concede that a vote on UK military action in Syria should await a report by United Nations inspectors on the use of chemical weapons.

The Prime Minister has recalled Parliament tomorrow to consider the response to the use of chemical weapons by Bashar Assad's regime.

MPs will now be asked to agree the principle that military action may be justified in response.

It comes as protesters gathered outside Downing Street with banners to protest against Western intervention in Syria, chanting slogans such as ‘Hands off Syria’ and ‘Cut War Not Welfare’.

Organisers said they intended to lobby MPs who have been called back to Parliament. They will also be staging a rally against intervention at Trafalgar Square in Central London on Saturday.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2404837/Cameron-forced-concede-vote-Syria-military-action-await-UN-chemical-weapons-report.html#ixzz2dIhf3Q4B