Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Keith Simpson Excerpts
Monday 18th January 2016

(8 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Keith Simpson Portrait Mr Keith Simpson (Broadland) (Con)
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The Secretary of State will be aware of suggestions that part of the way to constrain Daesh is to use back-door diplomacy. Does he agree with Canon Andrew White of Baghdad, who said in an interview:

“You can’t negotiate with them. I have never said that about another group of people. These are really so different, so extreme, so radical, so evil”?

Does that put into context the suggestion from the Leader of the Opposition?

Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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Like my hon. Friend, I was surprised to hear the suggestion that somehow one could negotiate with Daesh, or even that Daesh has some “strong points”. The House will recall that those strong points include the beheading of opponents, burning prisoners alive, throwing gays off buildings, enslaving young women, murdering innocent British tourists in Tunisia, and slaughtering young people on a night out in Paris. I fail to see any particular attraction.