Michael Fallon criticises ex-PM David Cameron’s Syria policy saying we should have done more sooner
His comments are the most critical yet from any senior government figure on Camerons stand-off policy over the disastrous war.
BRITAIN should have sent peace keeping troops into Syria to halt its bloody civil war early on, the Defence Secretary has claimed.
Sir Michael Fallon dubbed the chaos across the region today “a very good example of perhaps why we should have intervened much earlier in Syria”.
The senior Cabinet minister’s comments are the most critical yet from any senior government figure on ex-PM David Cameron and US President Barack Obama’s stand-off policy over the disastrous war.
Sir Michael added an in interview on breakfast TV show Good Morning Britain: “There’s a cost, a price you pay if you don’t intervene and put troops or peacekeepers in much earlier in some of these countries.”
Lord Dannatt says the Defence Secretary has made a fair comment, with the advantage of hindsight
As many as 500,000 have been killed in five years of war in Syria so far, as well as 11 million leaving their homes.
The defence supremo was backed by a former military chief tonight.
Ex-Army head Lord Dannatt told The Sun: “With the advantage of hindsight, Michael Fallon makes a fair comment.
“But there was no consensus at the time for intervention in Syria in 2011 or 2012.”
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The hero general added: “We must always be careful about our western presence, as it is always far better if troops from the region can do the job.”
His intervention came as US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said ISIS could be forced out of its capital and stronghold city of Raqqa by the time Barack Obama leaves the White House in January.
A major offensive to retake Iraq’s second city Mosul is also just weeks away, he promised.
Mr Carter said: “Our plan calls for the envelopment - that is the surrounding and collapsing of Isil control over those two key cities, Mosul and Raqqa.
“That envelopment is under way now and will unfold further in the coming months.”
Mr Carter was in London today for an international conference to push for more peacekeeping operations around the world that would prevent wars from happening, hosted by Sir Michael Fallon.