Syria

I have just been reading in the Telegraph that the "finger of suspicion" with regards to the use of chemical weapons in the town of Khan al-Assal last week now points strongly towards the Islamic jihadist rebels. It appears to have been an unsophisticated weapon using a form of chlorine known as CL17. One argument suggests that Syrian troops have far more sophisticated weapons at their disposal, and thus it would be unlikely to have been fired by them. Of course, as in all conflicts of this nature, it is always difficult to get at the truth and it could have been a "double bluff" by government forces.

Nevertheless, our government still seems convinced that it should supply weapons to the rebels as a result of some convoluted reasoning that it would help the refugees. I am glad that the EU turned down the Anglo-French proposal to partially lift the Syrian arms embargo to allow the supply of weapons to the rebel groups and I must place on record that for once I approve of an EU decision.

As far as I am concerned the old phrase "A Plague on both your houses " applies here.