August 20, 2016 7:00am by David Farrar

Smith makes Corbyn look moderate

The Guardian reports:

Owen Smith, the Labour leadership challenger, sparked controversy on Wednesday by suggesting a British government would have to negotiate with Isis to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Asked in a televised debate whether the terrorist group, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria and has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in the west, should be allowed to join talks about resolving the conflicts in the Middle East, Smith said “all actors” should be involved.

By contrast, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has sometimes been accused of being too willing to associate himself with extremist groups, said Isis should not be allowed to take part in talks. “No, they are not going to be round the table, no.” Later a spokesman for Corbyn criticised Smith’s remarks as “hasty and ill-considered”.

It takes a special skill to make Jeremy Corbyn appear the moderate one on the Middle East.

Considering ISIL leadership want a global caliphate and to trigger Armageddon in a battle with the West, I’m intrigued what the basis of negotiation will be – only a partial Armageddon?

Some terrorist groups have aims which you can come to terms with – such as the IRA in Northern Ireland. ISIL does not. Their aims are fundamentally opposed to western civilisation and you can no more negotiate with them than you could with the Nazis.