Carmichael warns of Iraq War “echoes” in US intervention in Venezuela

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has warned of the “echoes” of the Iraq War in the US intervention in Venezuela, while speaking in the House of Commons during a statement by the Foreign Secretary on Monday evening.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized from their Caracas compound on Saturday and flown to the US as part of a special forces operation. US President Donald Trump has stated that the US would "run" Venezuela after the ousting of Maduro, who has been brought to the US to face extraterritorial criminal charges.

Speaking in the House, Mr Carmichael said:

“The last time I saw this degree of agreement between Government and Opposition Front Benchers in relation to foreign policy was in the run-up to the war in Iraq, and we all know how that ended. But I welcome what the Foreign Secretary has said about being clear that the leadership of Venezuela must reflect the will of the Venezuelan people.

“So when she spoke to Secretary Rubio, did she condemn President Trump’s assertion that he should run Venezuela for the foreseeable future?”

Responding for the government, the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“Obviously, in practice the US does not have boots on the ground in Venezuela, and the vice-president has been sworn in. We continue not to recognise the vice-president’s regime as legitimate in Venezuela and we are continuing to press for a democratic transition.

“I discussed with the US Secretary of State the importance of a democratic transition, the importance of working with the opposition, and the role that the UK could play in doing that. Ultimately, this has to be about ensuring that the will of the Venezuelan people is respected.”

Reacting after the exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

“It is hard to ignore the echoes of the Iraq War here. Few people will mourn the fall of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela but if that were the only measure by which we judged the rightfulness of military interventions then the toppling of Saddam Hussein would have been a far simpler and more productive affair than it turned out to be.

“The government needs to be a voice for restraint and for respect for the international rule of law. If we are to learn the lessons of Iraq and see a better outcome from this intervention then it surely starts from reinforcing the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own government – rather than Donald Trump.”