Turkey, Cameron and More Hypocrisy

Turkey claims to have shot down a Russian fighter, which it says infringed its airspace.  Russia says its plane was still in Syrian airspace, and that it was shot down, from the ground by rebel forces operating from inside Turkey.  Whatever the truth of the matter, it poses difficult questions for the arguments that Cameron has been putting forward in recent days, and which have been supported by various Blair-right MP's.

Let us assume that the Russian plane actually had infringed Turkish airspace in its pursuit of rebel fighters.  How is that different to Cameron, and the Blair-rights argument that NATO planes should have the right to cross into Syrian airspace in pursuit of jihadists, rather than remaining only over Iraqi territory?  If Turkey has a right to shoot down Russian planes that may or may not have infringed its airspace in pursuit of jihadists, then presumably that means that Syria, or the Russians backing Syria, have a right to shoot down other planes infringing Syrian airspace.  If the Kurds looked to Russia to defend them against bombing by Turkey, then presumably that would give Russia the right to shoot down any Turkish warplanes bombing in Kurdish areas.

Similarly, Cameron, supported by some Blair-right MP's has argued that it is perfectly fine for Britain to bomb other sovereign states that have not attacked them, and with which they are not at war.  In this case, Britain's use of drones to kill people like Jihadi John, in Syria.  I have covered all of the ways that this shoot to kill policy, and Britain's abandonment of all the principles of war and neutrality that existed, even during World War II, has been introduced, elsewhere, and that discussion has been taken up by others.

Every time they abandon all concepts of principle, in a reckless belief that they can do whatever they choose, in the immediate instance, they create the arguments for others, like Putin, to follow suit, when it meets their interests, and in so doing they create a far more dangerous and uncertain world for all of us.  Labour MP's should remember that when they come to vote on these issues, and Cameron's drive for war.  Labour Party members should ensure that it is impressed upon Labour MP's too.