Ed Miliband tells Sky News he doesn't regret opposing airstrikes in Syria against Assad in 2013
Mr Miliband was one of the leading voices in the UK against taking military action in Syria in 2013 following President Assad's chemical attacks on his own citizens. One expert says Mr Miliband's decision cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Friday 13 December 2024 07:58, UK
Ed Miliband does not regret voting against the UK taking military action in Syria in 2013, he has told Sky News.
His comments to Sky's breakfast presenter Anna Jones come following the collapse of the Bashar al Assad regime in the region.
Back in 2013, when Mr Miliband was Labour leader, UK MPs voted against taking military action in Syria in the wake of Assad using chemical weapons against his own people.
Sky News has now spoken to relatives of the victims.
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MPs in 2013 were given a free vote - with no party line imposed - but Mr Miliband was a vocal opponent of the action, claiming the plans were "ill-thought out" and would make things worse.
The Commons voted against taking action.
However, a chemical weapons expert claims this vote - and Mr Miliband's leading role in it - cost "hundreds of thousands of lives".
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Mr Miliband was asked by Sky News presenter Jones if he regretted his position in the vote today.
He said: "No, I don't."
The energy secretary added he welcomed the fall of Assad.
He added: "Back in 2013, we were confronted with whether we should have a one-off - or potential one-off - bombing of Syria.
"But there was no plan for what this British involvement would mean.
"Where it would lead, and what the consequences would be.
"And I believe that in the light of the Iraq War, we could never send British troops back into combat unless we were absolutely clear about what our plan was, including what an exit strategy was.
"Now, to those people who say that President Assad would have fallen if we bombed him in 2013, that's obviously wrong, because President Trump bombed President Assad in 2017 and 2018, so he didn't fall.
"So I welcome the fall of a brutal dictator.
"But I think the view that some people seem to be expressing about history is just wrong."
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Some have argued inaction in 2013 gave confidence to dictators like Assad - and even Vladimir Putin - to take military action against other nations.
Asked about this, Mr Miliband again disagreed, saying: "I think it's very easy for people to say that the answer to the problems of the world is British military intervention."
Speaking on the BBC last night, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK and US not taking action "created a vacuum that Russia moved into and kept Assad in power for much longer".
However, he denied on social media later that he was not criticising Mr Miliband - instead saying he was "pointing out the challenges of hindsight".
Asked about the clashing of opinions between two members of the cabinet, a Downing Street spokesperson said: "I think the government's position on Syria is very clear.
"Our priority is the safety of civilians and the peaceful transfer of power. We continue to engage with allies as you would expect and our partners in the region on how to achieve a political solution."
The spokesman added that "obviously I'm not going to comment on something that alludes to a period pre this government."
It cost 'hundreds of thousands of lives'
Speaking later on, Hamish de Bretton Gordon, the former head of the British Army's chemical weapons unit, claimed "hundreds of thousands of lives" would have been saved if someone else had been in charge of Labour instead of Mr Miliband.
Mr de Bretton Gordon said he went to Syria in 2013 to investigate the chemical attacks and came back to brief those in Westminster - including Mr Miliband - about Assad's actions.
"Had we taken out Assad's chemical weapons in September 2013, as the votes suggested? I think hundreds of thousands of lives would be saved," he said.
Mr de Bretton Gordon said Mr Miliband's position was "pretty shocking", and that if he "can't see the dreadful mistakes and errors he made 11 years ago, then I really, really question his judgement".
The chemical weapons expert says Assad declared only a small portion of his stockpile, and continued to use them for "the next 11 years".
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People are still trying to clear up the reserves, according to Mr de Bretton Gordon, to stop it getting into the hands of IS.
This includes Israel saying it is bombing Syrian army bases to destroy chemical weapons.