Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I agree entirely with Mr. Al Habib's sentiments. The problem, however, is to do with the logistics. How does one convince the Russians not to become involved, as they have already been well and truly established for several years now? On the other side, we have the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and various other states with a different view, which is supportive of the revolution. What happens unless troops are put on the ground and what are the prospects if that does happen? I do not expect it to happen. In my view, the experience of Iraq will be the deterrent that prevents the international community from becoming too deeply involved in any strife. I absolutely agree with Mr. Al Habib's attitude to dictatorships, but the difficulty is that the experience has been that one dictatorship can be replaced by another, and that, unfortunately, has never changed. In the international scheme of things, that is the way it goes. Violence begets violence.

Deputies Timmins and Smith referred to the need to identify some type of compromise that will bring the violence to an end.

It will not happen otherwise. The regime will not concede. It is well armed with a good supply of arms. There is a network across the Middle East. There is a fear in Iran that it could go the same way as Iraq and that something similar could happen there. I am deeply suspicious of anything associated with ISIS because its members are certainly not democrats. They overran Iraq when the international community, in particular the US, decided it was going to withdraw, which was not the greatest decision it ever made. Almost instantly after that it had revenue sources and oil wealth and it is the government now. At the same time, it does not recognise government anywhere else. It is a serious issue. We discussed this matter in Luxembourg a few weeks ago at the Defence and Security Committee. The issue is that the global community is trying to deal with the growing refugee issue that has been generated by this strife in this area. The atrocities are growing on a daily basis. The international community wants to do the right thing but what can it do? What can it do so long as the violence continues? The question has been asked before. Will Mr. Al Habib hint at how there might be a compromise and a cessation of violence, at least for a while, in order to identify what the global community can do? It would be willing to do something in those circumstances.