British Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has risked sparking fresh controversy after blaming the rise of ISIS on Britain and the United States.
The veteran anti-war campaigner said ISIS hadn’t “come from nowhere” and was partly “a creation of Western interventions in the region.”
Corbyn, 66, said attacking the fanatical group would only make things worse and instead claimed Britain would be safer it if declared that it supported the “diversity of faith and diversity of aspirations around the world.”
The remarks round off a turbulent week for Corbyn after overseeing chaotic cabinet reshuffle culminating in a public u-turn over Labor’s position on the European Union.
Corbyn was roundly condemned on Tuesday for refusing to sing the national anthem at a memorial to Battle of Britain heroes.
The veteran socialist, speaking to the obscure website ‘Middle East Eye,’ said Labor needed to stick to its ‘principles’ and vowed to stay on as Labor leader for the next five years.
But he risks a major rebellion over a proposed vote on extending the military action against ISIS into Syria.
The Prime Minister has called for a ‘political consensus’ in favor of authorizing military strikes before calling a vote in Parliament.
In 2013 Cameron was left humiliated after MPs – including Corbyn – rejected airstrikes. Speaking today, Corbyn said he would not change his position.
Corbyn said:
ISIS did not come from nowhere. They have got a lot of money that’s come from somewhere. They’ve got a huge supply of arms that have come from somewhere. They are – not in total, but in part – a creation of Western interventions in the region. What I would do is try to economically isolate them. And also try to unite the other groups in the region by supporting autonomy for the Kurdish groups and recognize the vast amount of arms that we have sold – particularly to Saudi Arabia – end up somewhere and those are now being used.
Bombing by the West in Syria now would create more mayhem. It’s very unclear who the alliances would be with and it would make the situation worse. I opposed the bombing of Syria in that historic 2013 vote and would continue that position.
Despite his position Corbyn insisted he would keep Britain safe.
He said: “We make ourselves safer by not being part of US foreign policy at every single turn. We make ourselves safer by saying we understand the diversity of faith and diversity of aspirations around the world. And also by becoming a force for human rights rather than military interventions around the world. I think that would make us safer.”
Corbyn has previously sparked fury by comparing ISIS brutality to US military action in Iraq; Daily Mail reported.
