Mick Hartley

An extraordinary letter in today's Times [£] shows that the old diplomatic love of the strong-man is alive and well:

Sir, Those of us who have served as ambassadors to Syria or who have visited Syria recently remain deeply concerned by Britain’s continued support for the so-called moderate armed opposition and the British government’s commitment to impose regime change. Civilians in many parts of Syria fear that such intervention will create a political vacuum, providing a dangerous opportunity for Isis-related Islamist extremists.

We therefore urge the prime minister and foreign secretary to respect the right of the Syrian people as a whole to choose their own future. Failing to do so not only undermines the long-term stability of Syria but risks creating a chaotic situation similar to, or perhaps even worse than, those in Iraq and Libya.

Peter Ford, British ambassador to Syria 2003-06; Lord Green of Deddington, British ambassador to Syria 1991-94; Lord Wright of Richmond, British ambassador to Syria 1979-81; Baroness Cox, CEO, Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.

A "chaotic situation similar to, or perhaps even worse than, those in Iraq and Libya"? What??? Don't these idiots read the news? Syria is ten times, a hundred times worse than Iraq or Libya. Syria doesn't even exist anymore. Close to half a million have been killed; half the population are refugees. Cities are being bombarded, civilians slaughtered…

Undermining "the long-term stability of Syria"!? Is this a joke? And what does respecting "the right of the Syrian people as a whole to choose their own future" even mean in the current situation?

Well, for our diplomatic friends it would seem to mean supporting mass-murderer Assad. Such happy memories of dining with the man and his lovely young wife Asma! What a charming couple! And how annoying of the people of Syria to protest, and then to keep getting themselves killed.

A choice between Assad and the Isis-related Islamist extremists….isn't this what Assad's been saying all along? He's lucky to have these British supporters getting his message across for him in the pages of the Times.