Ukraine, Middle East, North Africa and Security

Does the Foreign Secretary agree that supporting air strikes in Syria is a higher-risk strategy t...

I agree with my hon. Friend. There is a qualitative difference between any proposition of air str...

rose—

rose—

I will take one more intervention.

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way. On the specifics of air strikes, the House ...

If my hon. Friend will allow me, I will come specifically to the question of air strikes and thei...

rose—

rose—

I will take one more intervention and then I must make some progress.

Will the Foreign Secretary elaborate on the military differences, as he said that there were quan...

When I talked about a military difference between Iraq and Syria, I was referring to the differen...

rose—

In view of Mr Speaker’s strictures, I must make some progress. I will allow the hon. Lady to inte...

There are rumours that the Turks are buying oil from ISIS. Is it not important that members of NA...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that has been precisely the thrust of a British initiativ...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his confirmation that we are using the United Nations to poi...

Yes, we are delivering that message and our partners around the world are active. We have seen ac...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

If I may, I will make a little progress.

Our response to that threat is and will remain mea...

On that specific point, will the Foreign Secretary confirm what support is being given to Kurdish...

The UK has already supplied non-lethal aid to the peshmerga. We have transported ammunition from ...

The Prime Minister said that if there was further evidence of a direct national threat and human ...

The point the Prime Minister was making was that we must reserve our right to intervene at very s...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

I must make some progress.

In Syria, we continue to support a negotiated political transiti...

Will the Foreign Secretary accept my apologies for turning up to the debate slightly late? Does h...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. We are clear that ISIL is a threat to us as well as to st...

On Syria, surely the position must be that, rather than leave Assad out of the process altogether...

Those around the Assad regime understand very well what they have to do to make progress: they ha...

As we have now moved to the welcome state whereby we are providing more than just assistance to t...

Our decision at the moment is that we will continue to supply non-lethal aid to the Syrian modera...

May I take the right hon. Gentleman back to his answer to the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Bl...

Our clear intention is to create the conditions where within the Alawite community and the commun...

In relation to ISIL and the foreign fighters, the Secretary of State will have seen reports from ...

I too read the reports that my hon. Friend mentions. Clearly, those who have committed terrorist ...

Will the Foreign Secretary give way?

I will give way once more at this stage.

As I understand it, the Foreign Secretary is saying that our policy is dependent on having a cred...

I recognise my hon. Friend’s gentle scepticism, shall I call it? Many figures within the newly an...

rose—

I must make some progress now because we have a wide range of issues to cover.

While we hav...

The situation in Ukraine has caused considerable consternation and concern among our eastern Euro...

I will come in a moment to the measures we are taking to support eastern partners, but my hon. Fr...

Does the Foreign Secretary believe that a man who spent 16 years rising to the top of the KGB and...

These sanctions are having an effect: they are exacerbating an already negative trend in Russia’s...

If Mr Putin were to deploy in the Baltic states the same asymmetric and deniable tactics he has u...

The engagement of article 5, which eastern partners would, of course, be perfectly entitled to se...

rose—

I must make a little more progress.

We welcome the ceasefire that has been announced betwee...

Does the Foreign Secretary agree that President Abbas now deserves the opportunity to demonstrate...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I shall come to the point about the involvement of the Palest...

In the light of what the Foreign Secretary has just said, will he please explain why the British ...

The hon. Gentleman’s last allegation is regrettable and completely inaccurate. We have looked ver...

rose—

I will give way again in a moment, but let me conclude this point.

In due course, a resolut...

I am very pleased to hear the Foreign Secretary condemn the Israeli action, but does he still not...

I think that the hon. Lady is being a little harsh. The reality is that in the Israel-Palestine c...

rose—

I will take one last intervention.

Will the Foreign Secretary be slightly clearer about what he sees as the consequences for Israel ...

I have been very forward-leaning in saying to my Israeli interlocutors—not only about the policy ...

rose—

I am coming to the end of my speech, and I know that many hon. Members want to participate in the...

I thank the Foreign Secretary for the remarks with which he opened the debate. This is our first ...

Would the right hon. Gentleman like to define what an inclusive Government in Baghdad would look ...

In asking his question, the hon. Gentleman anticipates my answer, which is that, frankly, it is n...

The shadow Foreign Secretary says that it is not the role of the international community to inter...

I certainly agree with the hon. Gentleman’s point about former Prime Minister Maliki. I had the o...

The point that my hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border (Rory Stewart) is making, and...

It ill behoves the hon. Gentleman to suggest that there is any meaningful comparison between what...

Perhaps I could try to clarify the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for North East Cambrid...

Again, I think that the question is revealing. It is not for us in the House of Commons or in the...

I think all of us in the House agree that when it comes to ISIS and Iraq, the solution has to be ...

I travelled down for this debate from Scotland, where I have been otherwise occupied, and had the...

rose—

Let me make a little progress, then I will be happy to take some more interventions.

The ri...

The shadow Foreign Secretary calls for clarity in the weeks and months that lie ahead. If Her Maj...

First, I do not think it is under contemplation that there would be airstrikes against Iraq. If t...

The shadow Foreign Secretary knows that the United States has been engaged in airstrikes—there ha...

As the hon. Gentleman is aware, no such request has been made. America has unique military capabi...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

I have been generous in taking a couple of interventions on this point, and I am keen to make a l...

I wholly support the right hon. Gentleman’s remarks that we need a political settlement of the Ga...

One of the profound challenges facing the state of Israel is to recognise that in responding to i...

My right hon. Friend heard the Foreign Secretary say that simply wagging fingers would not contri...

My hon. Friend raises an important point. How does one effectively seek to influence the conduct ...

During the crisis of the last six weeks or so, American arms have continued to flow to Israel, th...

We took a different position to the Government on the export of arms—once they managed to sort ou...

The right hon. Gentleman’s analysis of the situation will come across as extremely one-sided, and...

I am not entirely clear of the basis on which the hon. Gentleman makes his point, but let me reit...

Will my right hon. Friend say a couple of words about a matter on which I had hoped the Foreign S...

Order. I think the shadow Foreign Secretary has picked up the point. If necessary the hon. Gentle...

I hope I have got the gist of my hon. Friend’s point about the lifting of the blockade. Of course...

rose—

Order. We will start with a seven-minute limit, which means we should get everyone in, but if we ...

It is a pleasure to follow the shadow Foreign Secretary—I agreed with virtually everything he sai...

Is my right hon. Friend aware that at a meeting tomorrow in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hosted by the S...

I completely agree with my right hon. Friend and I welcome that meeting. Indeed, he pre-empts my ...

On air strikes, ISIL and Syria, my right hon. Friend will be aware of the words of Robert Ford, t...

I have to confess that I rather agree with the Foreign Secretary that Syria is very much a differ...

I draw to the House’s attention the fact that I am co-chairman of the all-party group on Iran and...

I completely concur with the right hon. Gentleman on that point. A Coventry-based company has wor...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. The United States has gone out of its way to ass...

I will be very brief. Just before history gets completely rewritten, may I ask the right hon. Gen...

I am absolutely certain that it did, but the sanctions, led by the United States, allowed for the...

This debate covers four of the most complicated, most grave and serious threats to our well-being...

I intend to return to the point that my right hon. and learned Friend is making in my subsequent ...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend—and I am sure the research behind his point will be checked—but I...

rose—

I can give way only one more time, so I shall give way to my right hon. Friend.

I am grateful, but surely the point is that on the previous occasions of great wars, the House wa...

I hope that on this occasion, too, we could reach such a political consensus in the House of Comm...

Order. The right hon. and learned Gentleman has used up his time.

2.32 pm

I agree with the Government that it would be a folly for western powers such as Britain to barge ...

What kind of morality is it that says that if a bully is a successful bully, we should want to be...

It is not about befriending Assad; it is about the reality of moving forward. If we do not recogn...

The right hon. Gentleman seems to be arguing that Bashar al-Assad’s main incentive for working wi...

Let me come to that, and explain.

The Prime Minister has described President Assad as “ille...

rose—

Order. The House will be only too well aware of the high demand for time to speak and the low sup...

We gather here today on the eve of a vote in Scotland that could tear the United Kingdom apart af...

I support the hon. Gentleman’s point about resourcing the Foreign Office—and the Foreign Secretar...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman very much for his intervention. As he knows, this is not simply ...

It is an honour to follow that distinguished speech by my constituency neighbour the Defence Comm...

I must have expressed myself very badly, given the hon. Gentleman’s parody of what I said. The gr...

I offer my humble apologies to the right hon. and learned Gentleman. I think I got carried away b...

I shall try to rise to the challenge of fitting as many major international crises into six minut...

The hon. Gentleman draws our attention to the absolute commitment to article 5 made at the NATO c...

The hon. Gentleman raises an issue that requires more than five minutes’ discussion, but he under...

We have heard a compelling speech from the Chair of the Defence Select Committee, the hon. Member...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right.

One of the most welcome aspects of the NATO summit was ...

It is beautiful to follow the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood), because he calls for a...

A number of things about ISIS are clear: it is well funded; it is very well organised; and it has...

My right hon. Friend is making a very impassioned speech with which I agree. May I just take him—...

I hope that my hon. Friend feels better.

All conflicts are battles of ideology. That is par...

I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend. Does he agree that the tragedy of that is that those ...

I absolutely agree with my right hon. Friend. Sometimes it is tempting for Governments to spend o...

Does the right hon. Gentleman also accept that the welcome decision by both parties to have a lar...

I would go further and say that our national security and the need for hard power in a hard world...

In addition to being a member of the Defence Committee under the chairmanship of the hon. Member ...

Some pastors and deacons from Ukraine visited Northern Ireland. Recently, one of those pastors wa...

Whether in Ukraine and eastern Europe or the middle east, there is a recurring theme of religious...

We should talk more and bomb less. I say that as someone who wants us to have strong defences. I ...

I spent seven years as special envoy on human rights in Iraq, so I visited the country on many oc...

There is one thing on which every single speaker in this debate and everyone who is watching it f...

May I first say that I very much enjoyed and agreed with the remarkable speech by the right hon. ...

Listening to the right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Mr Llwyd) has underlined for me that w...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I give way to my Select Committee colleague.

Was the hon. Gentleman’s faith in the value of a grand strategy not dented by the right hon. and ...

I must remind the hon. Gentleman, who has sat in Committee with me for many hours listening to ev...

I am listening intently to my hon. Friend’s comments, some of which I agree with. I suggest to hi...

Of course we should exercise caution. I have learned my bitter lessons, having been on the Opposi...

As we debate these issues, it is not clear whether we will face them as a United Kingdom or as a ...

The right hon. Gentleman is making a powerful point. With the thinnest of resources in our Foreig...

The hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point and, as has been said several times, it would be wrong ...

This has been an exceptionally good debate and we have covered a lot of ground. I was particularl...

It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt). I l...

I must begin by apologising for not being present at the outset of the debate; I had a parliament...

The point was not to criticise any legitimate discussion about legality, although I do not think ...

My recollection is that the discussion was mainly about illegality, and I think the hon. Gentlema...

rose—

I must make some progress, if my hon. Friend will excuse me.

The second speech by which I w...

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman suggesting that we should perhaps take money from DFID’s ...

I am something of a fan of the Spice Girls myself.

Sporty Spice!

Order.

I think the hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire (Stephen Barclay) is suggesting that they a...

rose—

Order. The debate is proceeding apace, but I am afraid that I must reduce the time limit for Back...

If there was ever a time for Britain—the United Kingdom—to play its part in the world as a major,...

I draw the House’s attention to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests an...

May I just thank the hon. Gentleman for his sterling work in those areas?

I am most grateful—and my head will not get through the double-doors if my hon. Friend carries on...

Does my hon. Friend agree that such leverage could be used in some of the existing disputes betwe...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the things that Iran could bring to bear on Prime Mini...

I wish to confine my remarks to the situation in Ukraine. I am pleased to follow the hon. Member ...

Will my hon. Friend give me some details of what she thinks are appropriate sanctions?

One problem is that, as my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mark Hendrick) has been saying, it...

This has been a fascinating and informative debate. I am sorry only that the amount of time that ...

At the NATO summit an agreement was reached under which all member countries have to get their in...

I would like member countries to get up to 2%. At least they will be fulfilling the commitments t...

Order. I call Mark Hendrick.

4.47 pm

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald Howarth). I will carry on in...

The hon. Gentleman is talking about the Baltic states. He will know that Kaliningrad is a part of...

I think that is perfectly possible and I concur with the hon. Gentleman. I think that, even thoug...

I apologise to colleagues for having missed some of the Back-Bench speeches earlier due to an unb...

The hon. Gentleman is making a very powerful point, and I agree with him. Did he agree with the r...

Sadly, that is one of the Back-Bench speeches that I missed.

I am grateful, in any case, fo...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the crucial things in some of the recent military adventure...

Absolutely. As always, my hon. Friend, with his Foreign Office background, makes the pertinent po...

I disagree with the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) about the idea of containing ISIS,...

I obviously did not make myself clear enough. I said that containment by balance of power often m...

Perhaps we can talk about a different wording later.

When I was in Perth three weeks ago, I...

Does the hon. Gentleman not consider that in the current environment of having so much instabilit...

The instability is already there. We have to face reality. Will Syria continue as a state, or wil...

For too long, it seems to me, there has been an idea that dealing with problems in countries such...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr Turner). We sit together on the ...

May I suggest that a key reason was mission creep? We allowed the mission to morph, disastrously,...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I wrote to Tony Blair in 2003—the letter was on my blog a...

It is, as ever, a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Newport West (Paul Flynn), and I too wel...

I am listening carefully to my hon. Friend and thinking about the vote last year, when regrettabl...

I agree. Technically, the motion was about that, but there was also a push last year by the Gover...

It was precisely for that reason that my hon. Friend and I made common cause against the folly of...

I pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friend and others on both sides of the House in asking those...

In the five minutes available to me, I want to make three points and ask one specific question th...

Does my hon. Friend agree that NATO is a chameleon organisation? It was belligerent and bad under...

I think that is an incredibly generous description of how NATO is behaving under President Obama,...

Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the best ways to bring down conflict, tension and the inter...

Indeed, and the daily dangers from the situation in Ukraine and eastern Europe are pretty obvious...

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for calling me to speak in this debate on the middle east and security mat...

I totally agree with my hon. Friend, and he is certainly right to raise issues about our Jewish c...

I am aware of those concerns; they are shared by members of the Jewish faith in my constituency.<...

I am grateful for the opportunity to take part in this thoughtful debate. I will start my brief r...

Does the hon. Lady agree that at the time of Ukraine’s independence at the end of the Soviet Unio...

I absolutely believe that that is at the heart of the problems that we are facing. The associatio...

Does the hon. Lady accept that there are neutral countries in the European Union, including Irela...

There is no doubt that Russia has clearly breached that, and I absolutely condemn Russia as much ...

I came to this debate to listen to what was being said, and I have to say that I was deeply impre...

It is a pleasure to be called to speak in this important debate. During the summer, I was contact...

Does my hon. Friend agree with the statement made that Israel is indifferent to opinion in this c...

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. The EU association agreement with Israel and the pref...

A network of terror is evolving across the middle east and it poses an existential threat to Brit...

I apologise profusely for being out of the debate for most of the afternoon. I heard the speeches...

Is my Friend aware that Saudi Arabia has possibly the worst human rights record in the region? It...

The whole argument was that the weapons were sold to Saudi Arabia so that they could be used in i...

May I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the register, not least as an unremunerated direc...

Does the hon. Gentleman not think that a political dialogue is needed at all levels, including Ha...

I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman.

We face the much bigger question of how we will e...

I have listened intently to the previous speeches. Given the political unrest that continues to g...

rose—

Order. In order to accommodate the six remaining Back-Bench colleagues who wish to take part, I a...

May I apologise for missing a large part of the debate because of Select Committee duties? Person...

I want to focus on Ukraine and Russia in the short time allowed to me. In 1988 and the early 1990...

I welcome this debate. Sadly, I feel that it is too little and too late, given the time available...

When Parliament met last year to discuss military action in Syria, I asked myself two questions. ...

This is a broad topic and there is limited time. I think that Parliament has a role to play in de...

In his remarks to the House on Monday, the Prime Minister spoke of the opportunity offered by the...

As many hon. Members have said, this has been a wide-ranging and deeply thoughtful debate. At a t...

Does my right hon. Friend think that that point is particularly important given that Glasgow airp...

We do face the same threats right across the United Kingdom, and we stand together most effective...

We have indeed had an extremely interesting debate and have heard a wide range of views.

Th...