Speaking during a debate on the protection of victims of terrorism in the European Parliament last night, Irish GUE/NGL MEP Martina Anderson called for greater humanity towards victims and more non-military means to de-escalate conflict situations.

Speaking about the current situation in Syria, MEP Anderson said: “Daesh is a Frankenstein monster and member states must stop banking it. Stopping Daesh means stopping European banks accepting revenue from Daesh's 2 million a day gained from its control of oilfields.”

She continued: “Member states must act with humanity and address the needs of victims and the needs of millions of refugee victims as a result of the terror that they are enduring.”

“Violent extremism has grown in places ravished by western militaries making the world considerably more dangerous. Efforts to de-escalate the situation in Syria and pursue a model of conflict resolution are what we need; dropping bombs in Syria is not the solution.”

Referring to the recent conflict in Ireland where the British state apparatus killed with impunity, she concluded: “Unfortunately in these debates, state-sponsored terrorism is often neglected. Reports from Iraq, Libya and Syria demand that this Parliament ends double standards and that it condemns all acts of terrorism.”

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