Alwaght- Britain’s opposition leader has connected terrorist attacks at home with Britain’s failed wars abroad.
Addressing a press conference in London, Corbyn called for a change in how the UK operates in the world and handles domestic security.
He reiterated his longstanding view that engaging in wars like those in Iraq and Libya increase the threat of terrorist acts occurring at home.
Corbyn who is also a veteran anti-war campaigner connected the Manchester suicide bomber, who killed 22 people on Monday, with the wars the UK has taken part in or backed since 2001.
“Many experts... have pointed to the connections between wars our government has supported or fought in other countries and terrorism here at home,” he said.
However, the link between war and terrorism does not justify attacks on innocents, he added.
“That assessment in no way reduces the guilt of those who attack our children. Those terrorists will forever be reviled and held to account for their actions,” he said.
“But an informed understanding of the causes of terrorism is an essential part of an effective response that will protect the security of our people that fights rather than fuels terrorism,” Corbyn added.
Labour’s current leader has opposed joining military interventions at the initiative of his own party – then led by Tony Blair – in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those that were launched under the Conservatives in Libya and Syria.
“We must be brave enough to admit the ‘war on terror’ is simply not working,” he said.
“We need a smarter way to reduce the threat from countries that nurture terrorists and generate terrorism.”
He criticized Tory government cuts to police budgets, which critics claim have led to the army being deployed to make up for a shortfall in armed officers.
Corbyn's offensive could prove decisive in the June 8 election, with the gap in the opinion polls between Labour and the ruling Conservatives closing to just 5 percent.
A new YouGov poll puts Labour on 39 percent against a Tory lead of 43 percent – a substantial shift over the last few weeks.
