Scottish Government
 Printable version
|
First Minister statement on Iraq
Commenting on the situation in northern Iraq, First Minister Alex Salmond said:
“The Scottish Government is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in northern Iraq as a result of attacks by Islamic State fighters, which we condemn in the strongest terms. These brutal attacks have resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being displaced across the region, many of them requiring urgent assistance. Last week the situation had deteriorated so much that the UN declared it as a level 3 crisis – the highest level of humanitarian crisis.
"We call on all involved to ensure the safety and protection of civilians and urge the international community to unite to provide the necessary support to the Kurdish authorities under the coordination of the UN. We have written to the UK Government to offer assistance from Scotland for the international effort to meet immediate humanitarian need.
"In terms of any military intervention it is imperative that the UK Government moves through the United Nations route and does not repeat the tragic mistakes of 11 years ago. There can be no effective military action without international legality. The appalling consequences of previous blunders in this regard are what are visiting us now in Iraq and elsewhere.”
