International Affairs
Brooks Newmark calls for the UK and US Governments to put pressure on Syria and Iran to scale down the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Mr. Newmark: I draw my right hon. and learned Friend's attention to the fact that since 12 July, 1,600 missiles have rained down on northern Israel-100 have done so in the past 24 hours alone-and that 1 million Israeli citizens are threatened. In addition to the UK and the US putting pressure on Israel, as he suggests, what pressure does he think could be put on Syria and Iran?
Mr. Ancram: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for asking that question, and I am just coming to the question of Syria. At the moment, it would be very difficult to persuade Iran to take a view different from the one that they are currently taking. But I have always believed that, through diplomatic pressure, Syria is open to changing the direction that it has been taking-wrongly, in my view-for so long. We can show the Syrians that there is a better future for them-if they change their ways and go down another path. That is something that the British Government should be doing.
