The Uk Government have decided to bomb Raqqa and supporting oild fields in Syria – hopefully to some effect and with the minimum or preferably no collateral casualties.

But what now seems to be happening is that Daesh, Isis or Isil, whatever you want to call them, are scattering cells to Afghanistan and Libya.

Where’s the strategy or short term tactic to counter this spreading threat?

There are those who are against the bombing of Daesh and  want a strategy of containing the spread of this hateful cult. They feel that rather than raining terror from the skies, there should be  political humanitarian means towards progress,  they are saying with some justification as Daesh spreads  “I told you so..”

Surely we’ve learned a lesson from Afghanistan that once the occupying forces leave the native war lords revert to type. That is surely their business not ours. Instead of Taliban, Al Quaeda now Daesh.  Whatever your argument we are clearly not making much progress.

Ought there  to be a dialogue, however distasteful that feels, with all these extremists.  How else will we contain ideologies we haven’t  understood and show no sign of doing so. We believe in democracy, they believe in  theocracies however warped we think they are.  Never the twain shall meet, but meet they must.  Rather in dialogue than bloodshed.