Afghanistan (No. 2)

EDM number 269 in 2001-02, proposed by Harry Barnes on 18/10/2001.

That this House recognises the legitimacy of military action in Afghanistan to counter the threat from the brutal Taliban government and the fundamentalist Al-Qaeda terrorist network and to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice; further recognises that the battle against these forces is likely to be a long-term one which will involve a mixture of military, economic, political and diplomatic means that maximise the unity of resolve and success of the broad-based international coalition; welcomes the widespread recognition that this is not a war on the people of Afghanistan who have suffered grievously at the hands of the Taliban and over the course of the last two decades; supports the determination of the international community to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and refugees whose plight preceded allied military action; believes that whilst the current bombing phase of the military campaign has weakened the Taliban and Al-Qaeda it now endangers the viability of humanitarian assistance, with only weeks before Ramadan and Afghanistan's harsh winter, although the Taliban are themselves partly responsible for preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the Afghan people; and urges the Allied forces temporarily to suspend their bombing so that more humanitarian assistance can be provided as a matter or urgency, whilst allowing for more targeted military as well as political, economic and diplomatic action.

This motion has been signed by a total of 7 MPs.