JACK STRAW: We must help defeat the ‘Islamic state’ barbarians

It’s never quite like that.

Turmoil seems to kick off.

I’m not just thinking of the outbreak of the First World War (August 4, 1914) nor the crisis with Germany in 1939, which led to the UK declaring war on September 3.

This time last year increasing evidence was emerging that in Syria President Assad had been using banned chemical weapons against his people.

Worse still, this year, the whole of the Middle East seems to be aflame. More than 1,900 Palestinians killed in Gaza, mainly innocent civilian men, women, and children; 67 Israelis (three of whom were civilians). The Yazidi minority in Northern Iraq have to flee for their lives, from the terror of maniacal butchers who quite wrongly wrap themselves in the Holy Koran, as the “Islamic State”.

Meanwhile, the civil war in neighbouring Syria, almost unnoticed, takes a rising toll.

On Gaza, the British Government should have been much tougher about Israel’s excesses. Israel is entitled to take reasonable steps to defend itself.

I have no brief for Hamas, who expose their own population to danger, as well as Israel’s by their firing of rockets across the border. But Israel’s response has been disproportionate to the threat they have faced, and they have almost certainly breached international humanitarian law.

In northern Iraq we should, as a minimum, be ready to provide arms to the well-organised Kurdish forces (the Peshmurga), as well as more humanitarian assistance for the Yazidis themselves.

In the Parliamentary debate last August on Syria I was with the majority in voting against military action. One reason for my hesitation was that we “would be joining the rebels” in Syria.

Some were secular, and OK. Many were not. I’m glad we took that decision – as we almost certainly would, inadvertently, have strengthened the “Islamic State” barbarians.

They are strong enough as it is.

Helping to defeat them is now an imperative, and the UK should not shy away from this.