Jeremy Corbyn draws attention to the elephant

I'm not a reader of The Independent but my attention was drawn to a story in the paper today (click here for link).

The Independent story said Corbyn made a good speech about terrorism, but it won't win him any support is the verdict. To quote:

His views on the causes of terrorism here are not new. Nor are they his alone. Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of MI5, has said: "Our involvement in Iraq radicalised … a few among a generation who saw our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as being an attack upon Islam." Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, the former chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee, said in a report for the Tories: "We need to recognise that a central element of foreign policy – the intervention in Iraq – has failed in its objectives so badly that the threat to this country is actually greater than it was before it began." David Cameron described this analysis as "a statement of fact".

The political establishment, with a few notable exceptions, and most of the media place the blame for the situation we are in with the terrorists. What Corbyn and others, like Baroness Manningham–Buller, point out is what most people know — as a state we have some responsibility and we should not be surprised if some of our enemies have chosen to become terrorists. I think their approach is wrong and attacking innocent people who and wherever they are has to be condemned. Corbyn understands this. To quote from his speech:

'Seeing the army on our own streets today is a stark reminder that the current approach has failed. So, I would like to take a moment to speak to our soldiers on the streets of Britain. You are doing your duty as you have done so many times before.

I want to assure you that, under my leadership, you will only be deployed abroad when there is a clear need and only when there is a plan and you have the resources to do your job to secure an outcome that delivers lasting peace'.

That is my commitment to our armed services. This is my commitment to our country. I want the solidarity, humanity and compassion that we have seen on the streets of Manchester this week to be the values that guide our government. There can be no love of country if there is neglect or disregard for its people'. 

It will be interesting to see how people react to Jeremy Corbyn's Manchester speech over the remaining days of the general election. He reflected the actions of Mancunians and we stand shoulder-to- shoulder with them, knowing it could be anywhere next. Mindless terrorism didn't stop us in the seventies and eighties when Northern Ireland was part of our everyday life. Security on the surface was much tighter then. Now the security services have other means of monitoring terrorists. I don't expect them to tell us what they are doing. That is counter-intuitive.

I pray and hope sensible voters will support and thank Jeremy Corbyn for drawing attention to the truth of the situation we are in and vote for him.

I really thought this election was madness. My head still does, but my heart is saying otherwise.

FOOTNOTE: The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has disowned Corbyn's speech.