Many will have mixed feelings after the news that an RAF drone strike killed two British citizens fighting with Islamic State in Syria (Front page, 8 September). Few people will believe that Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin were not guilty of terrible acts of violence, in a conflict that is killing thousands and creating untold human suffering. Many will be pleased that the UK government has finally taken action that will send a clear message to other fighters and potential jihadis that they are not beyond the reach of retribution. I have no doubt that David Cameron and the UK government believe their actions are essential to take a firm stance against terrorism and violence. However, besides the obvious question of legality, we also have to consider whether this action will make us safer in the long term. A key question is whether the individuals and communities this tough message is intended for will actually be deterred by the threat of retaliation.
All the evidence from the past suggests it will not. Each time we abandon the belief that deliberate killing is wrong under any circumstances, we reinforce the message that our supposed principles of justice and the rule of law are a false hypocrisy – that human rights only apply if you are one of “us”, not one of “them”. Just as the inhuman torture of terrorist suspects in Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib became a lightning rod for recruitment to Isis, this will be seen by its supporters as further evidence of the need to join the battle.
In the end all we have done is reinforce by our own actions the validity of the core principle that lies at the heart of all terrorist groups – that “the end justifies the means”. This is why Gandhi was opposed to any form of violence as a means to achieve policy objectives. As he put it: “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” We would do well to reflect on whether the long-term effect of UK direct action in Syria will be to improve our security in the way that the government claims.
Rob Bruce
Blackwood, Caerphillyshire
