When Donald Trump tweeted in early 2016, “the Iran deal is terrible”, few took him seriously. A little over two years on, Twitter is a medium for diplomacy, Donald Trump is President, and America is withdrawing from the Iran Deal. This should not come as a shock. Not a single Republican supported the Obama-era accord, […]
Syria
Why America was justified in bombing Syria
The issue here is a simple moral one concerning first, violence, and second, interventionism. I’ll appeal to the second Iraq war for reference. While the west ought to evaluate its position regarding international intervention before it can unhypocritically appoint itself the ethical watchdog of the developing world, it is not difficult to imagine what would […]
Why America was unjustified in bombing Syria
On the 7th of April 2017, President Donald Trump plunged America into war. In retaliation to Syria launching a chemical attack on its own people, America fired 50 Tomahawk missiles at one of their air bases. In what seems to be an uncharacteristically compassionate move from President Trump, America has clearly shown where they draw […]
What is Russia after in Crimea and Syria? The sea
“A great leader who has an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has two.” – attributed to Peter the Great At first glance, Crimea and Syria seem to have little in common. Aside from both being the sites of intense contemporary conflict, one is a peninsula in Eastern Europe torn between pro- […]
Syrian civil war: how does life go on in communities?
It’s been five long years since the peaceful uprising against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad transitioned into all-out civil war. Since then more than 250,000 people have died, the country has been devastated, and world leaders have been left wringing their hands over how to solve the conflict. The recent recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra, […]
“I’m Labour through-and-through” – an interview with Hilary Benn MP
Since 1999, Hilary Benn has been the Labour MP for Leeds Central. While some may know him primarily for being the son of Tony Benn – the standard-bearer for Labour’s left throughout the 1970s and 80s – Hilary is very much a politician in his own right, having served as Secretary for International Development under […]
How to Change the World Part 3: Supporting Syria and the Region
As the UK hosted the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ UN backed conference, in (of all places) Newport, it was announced that over £10bn had been raised to fund aid, while also making long term commitments to education targets and opening the economies of neighbouring countries to boost job opportunities. However, while this event was […]
Exe student cares for Calais
Following recent and severe clashes between police and migrants at the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp, one University of Exeter student has found a unique way to lend her support. Final-year student Georgina Lewis is currently raising money to buy swimming goggles for refugees living in the ‘Jungle’ in an attempt to protect them from police brutality, which […]
Air strikes: A solution in Syria?
And so it came to pass, that on 2 December 2015, the House of Commons voted to increase the United Kingdom’s air strikes against IS, in order to further contribute towards the ongoing Syrian Civil War. With 397 MPs voting in support of the air strikes to the 232 who opposed the motion, and an apparent majority of the public opposing […]
Silent Forum sit-in in solidarity with Syria
Parliament voted to launch bombing raids against Islamic State in Syria last Wednesday 2 December, however the decision faced opposition from MPs themselves who voted against the motion but also from the general public. In light of the NUS’ unanimous vote against this proposal, many students organised protests against the bombing. Exeter’s local MP – Ben […]