Farage: Bombing ‘Bad Guy’ Assad Will Cause ‘Chaos’ and Help Terrorists

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has urged the UK to not intervene in the Syrian conflict, claiming it will only spread “chaos” in the region and benefit Islamic State terrorists.

Whilst making it clear he regards President Bashar al-Assad as a “bad guy”, Mr. Farage compared Syria to Libya and Iraq to argue that the removal of Arab tyrants usually leaves a power vacuum that even worse forces fill.

“This is the same British establishment who lined up and formed a pretty big consensus over Iraq,” he blasted on his LBC radio show, mocking Tony Blair’s claims about “weapons of mass distraction”.

He added: “Then we go fast forward a few years, to Libya,” describing the bombing as “one of the worst foreign policy decisions we’ve ever taken”.

“Undoubtedly we have made Libya a far worse place than it was under Gaddafi. And Iraq? I mean hundreds and hundreds of people have died in Iraq and there is still no real proper settlement in sight.

“You know, we intervene, we get rid of this Arab nationalist dictators because we think it’s the right thing to do having never thought through what the long-term consequences are.”

The calls to bomb Assad’s forces follow an attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma over the weekend, where between 40 and 70 people were reported to have been killed by banned chlorine gas.

However, like Prime Minister Theresa May, Mr. Farage said he was not confident it was Assad who had used the banned chemical weapons.

“I don’t know whether Assad used these chemical weapons or not, I don’t know why he would, given that he’s winning the war anyway, but maybe it was him,” he questioned.

Mr. Farage said even if Assad were proven to be responsible, and other Western nations attacked, the UK should not “join” as removing Assad could cause more harm than good.

“We may think morally it is the right thing to do because of some of the horrible, awful things that he’s done but ask yourselves the question what comes next?

“Chaos, instability and who’s to say maybe, maybe a chance for [Islamic State] to build their forces again.”

Mr. Farage also addressed U.S. President Donald J. Trump directly, who has promised a swift and strong American response.

“Even if we got a UN resolution I would still be very, very thoughtful about this – what in the longer term are we actually trying to achieve?” he asked again.