Syria - I just don't understand the inaction

It is true - I have an interest in war.

I've studied war in all its forms since I was a small boy. I'm fascinated by the tactics, logistics, strategy and human behaviours from the Field marshal on the hill to the Private on the fields - but I am not a war monger.

War for war's sake is always wrong and should always be a last resort to  sort out a situation.

As a Star Trek geek I also hold to the Prime directive of non interference in another nations internal affairs.

When Human rights are being, shall we say flexed(?!) then there is space for diplomatic sanctions and pressure.

When they are ruptured then more serious moves need to be made.

But when Women and children are being murdered in the streets or homes a line has been met and I truly believe that the Civilised world cannot sit idly by. As for using poison gas and nerve toxins, a practise banned after the Mustard and Phosphane gas attacks of World War One, on the helpless is absolutely unforgivable.

Seeing the news feeds of rooms full of dead children, civilians laying on the floor as if sleeping, people gasping for breath in hospitals through damaged lungs - I cannot understand how we cannot act?

I don't want to talk about the politics of the matter really, nor do I want to speculate on why Ed Miliband did what he did - I will merely point you to Dan Hodge's blog in the Telegraph.

I guess at the moment there is an area of doubt as to whether Assad has used the weapons or not and this is down to an MPs discretion as to whether or not it warrants action. I for one agree with Nick Clegg, that Assad has the weapons, he has used them before, his troops were shelling that area of town at the time and he has threatened to use them time and again - way to many coincidences for me there.Couple that with Military intelligence being pretty damn certain kind of hits the final nail for me personally.

Whether you are for or against an air strike though it doesn't matter as though as it was Party politics that won the day last night rather than a discussion of morality and right or wrong. Stackee's blog on Parliamentary Party politics puts my thoughts into words very succinctly.

So what are the solutions for Syria?

Well, we have precedent of such things:- Libya, Kosovo and Bosnia. The West provides an aerial strikes removing Assad's ability to deliver such weapons then pulls back.

Another approach is to provide Aerial superiority that will remove Assad's ability to wage war or to level the playing field for the rebels.

Neither option should be attempted before the UN weapon's inspectors have reported back. It is highly likely that for whatever reason the Russians and China will veto the Council if the decision to militarily intervene is decided. If this happens I still think that it is right to try and do all we can to stop these war crimes from being repeated.

I agree humanitarian aid needs to be delivered to the people in Syria and in the internment camps in the surrounding countries where hundreds of people are concentrating. This is always a recipe for disease and deprivation and aid must be organised. This needs to be done quickly as well.

History shows that when the world hesitates or decides to sit on its hands people die. Not the combatants or the ones who arguably deserve to but the innocents, the helpless and the defenceless.

The world cannot allow these atrocities to continue - it will not be forgotten and never forgiven.