The Peace & Justice Centre has written to the Prime Minister calling on her not to join the US in bombing Syria in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons. While we share grave concerns and condemn the Assad regime, and their ally 
Russia, for the use of chemical weapons, we believe bombing is not the answer. The UK has already been involved in US led bombing in Iraq and Syria which has killed an estimated 6,000 civilians. We urge the government to and to end all further bombing and to support a political solution. Here’s the letter we sent.
Dear Prime Minister MP,
I am writing on behalf of the Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre to urge you to oppose any calls to support bombing or any further military intervention in Syria. Bombing is not the answer. It is highly likely to lead to more civilian casualties not less, and it risks a potentially catastrophic confrontation with Russian forces, one that could lead to a wider conflict or a direct conflict between the US and its allies with Russia and its allies, and ultimately, the use of nuclear weapons.
Instead of bombing we urge you to support a ceasefire on all sides and do everything possible to promote a political solution. Let us not be drawn into the politics of Donald Trump, whose threats by twitter to bomb Syria and earlier, North Korea, only serve to make already tenuous international situations more unstable.
We are opposed to all outside military intervention including that of Russia and Iran as wewll as that of the UK and the US and their allies. More bombing or other action can only prolong the cycle of violence and therefore increase the suffering of the Syrian people.
We would urge you also to withdraw from the ongoing US led campaign of bombing in Syria and Iraq. According to Airwars this campaign has caused the deaths of at least 5,950 civilians, while the New York Times study recently concluded that there have been 31 times the number of civilian casualties than is estimated by the US. Civilian casualties from US led bombing include 150 children in a school in March last year.
It makes no sense to take such a retaliatory action. After the US bombed Syrian airfields last year in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack those airfields were back in operation within a week. This escalation of war is fraught with danger. The only solution in Syria must be a political solution.
Yours sincerely,
Brian Larkin
Coordinator Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre
pp: Arthur Chapman, Chair
Hilary Patrick, Co-Chair
Judy Russel, Secretary
