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British Parliament Debates Airstrikes Against ISIS in Iraq British Parliament Debates Airstrikes Against ISIS in Iraq
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron urged the British Parliament on Friday to approve plans to join the American-led air campaign against Sunni militants of the Islamic State in Iraq.LONDON — Prime Minister David Cameron urged the British Parliament on Friday to approve plans to join the American-led air campaign against Sunni militants of the Islamic State in Iraq.
“The question is how we keep the British people safe from the threat” posed by the militants, he told a packed House of Commons at the beginning of a debate that was expected to last for hours. “The question is how we keep the British people safe from the threat” posed by the militants, he told a packed House of Commons at the beginning of a debate that was expected to last hours.
There was no more serious matter, he said, “than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country.” In particular, he said, Parliament had to decide "what role our armed forces should play in the international coalition to dismantle and ultimately destroy what President Obama has rightly called this network of death.”
Wary of divisions within the political elite, government leaders have said that Britain will not join the United States in attacking targets in Syria and will not commit ground forces. “There is no more serious an issue,” he said, “than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country.”
The proposed British deployment is limited in scope, lagging that of France, which is already bombing targets in Iraq, and the United States, which has embarked on far more muscular strikes along with five Arab allies in Syria as well as Iraq. Wary of divisions among political leaders, senior government officials have said that Britain will not join the United States in attacking targets in Syria and will not commit ground forces.
Six Tornado warplanes of the Royal Air Force have been stationed at a British base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for several weeks, flying surveillance missions ostensibly as part of humanitarian efforts to help minorities threatened by the advance of fighters from the Islamic State, who spilled into Iraq from Syria in June. Mr. Cameron acknowledged that he had no intention of asking Parliament to approve plans “that there was no consensus for” as Britain confronts the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS.
The airplanes could be flying combat missions within days, officials have said. The proposed British deployment is limited in scope, lagging that of France, which is already bombing targets in Iraq, and of the United States, which has embarked on far more muscular strikes with five Arab allies, in Syria as well as Iraq.
Syria, Mr. Cameron said, was “more complicated” because of the presence of President Bashar al-Assad and the civil war there.
The British leader again said he would not order ground forces into Iraq, where British troops were last deployed as allies of the United States in the 2003 invasion and its aftermath.
“The real work of destroying ISIL,” he said, referring to the Islamic State by an alternative acronym, “is for the Iraqi security forces.” But he acknowledged weakness in the Iraqi Army, which fled as ISIS advanced from Syria in June.
“Do we need a better Iraqi Army that’s more capable on the ground? Yes, we do,” he said.
Six Tornado warplanes of the Royal Air Force have been stationed at a British base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for several weeks, flying surveillance missions ostensibly as part of humanitarian efforts to help minorities threatened by the advance of fighters from the Islamic State.
The planes could be flying combat missions within days, officials have said.
Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, defended the scale of the British effort, saying in a radio interview that airstrikes and military action alone would not defeat the militants.Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary, defended the scale of the British effort, saying in a radio interview that airstrikes and military action alone would not defeat the militants.
Prime Minister David Cameron has approached the vote cautiously since, in a politically embarrassing ballot last year, Parliament refused by a narrow margin to endorse military action in Syria in support of the United States following the use of chemical weapons in the civil war there. This time, senior officials argue that Britain has been invited by the new government in Baghdad to come to its defense, offering a legal basis for intervention. Mr. Cameron has approached the vote cautiously since, in a politically embarrassing vote last year, Parliament refused by a narrow margin to endorse military action in Syria in support of the United States following the use of chemical weapons in the civil war there. This time, senior officials argue that Britain has been invited by the new government in Baghdad to come to its defense, offering a legal basis for intervention.
At the same time, the assurance that Britain’s deployment will be limited to Iraq and exclude ground forces was designed in part to ensure the support of the opposition Labour Party, whose leader, Ed Miliband, has expressed concern about attacks in Syria without the approval of the United Nations.At the same time, the assurance that Britain’s deployment will be limited to Iraq and exclude ground forces was designed in part to ensure the support of the opposition Labour Party, whose leader, Ed Miliband, has expressed concern about attacks in Syria without the approval of the United Nations.
Even so, some lawmakers from the Labour Party have misgivings about supporting the deployment, Diane Abbott, a member of the party, said in a radio interview on Friday.Even so, some lawmakers from the Labour Party have misgivings about supporting the deployment, Diane Abbott, a member of the party, said in a radio interview on Friday.
A vote was expected around 5 p.m.A vote was expected around 5 p.m.
The situation is particularly tangled because militants of the Islamic State, which is also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, are holding Western hostages including a British taxi driver, Alan Henning, whom they have threatened to execute. The situation is particularly tangled because militants of the Islamic State are holding Western hostages including a British taxi driver, Alan Henning, whom they have threatened to kill.
Additionally, British news reports said a small number of the British Muslims who have joined ISIS forces were killed in earlier American airstrikes. The presence of Western militants in the ranks of ISIS has fueled concern that some of them may return to their home countries to launch retaliatory attacks. British news reports have also said a small number of the British Muslims who have joined ISIS forces were killed in earlier American airstrikes. The presence of Western militants in the ranks of ISIS has fueled concern that some of them may return to their home countries to launch retaliatory attacks.
Gilles de Kerchove, the European Union’s counterterrorism chief, was quoted by the BBC on Friday as saying the total number of Europeans fighting with the militants in Syria and Iraq now stood at 3,000. He also warned that Western airstrikes would increase the risk of retaliatory attacks. Gilles de Kerchove, the European Union’s counterterrorism chief, was quoted by the BBC on Friday as saying the total number of Europeans fighting alongside the militants in Syria and Iraq now stood at 3,000. He also warned that Western airstrikes would increase the risk of retaliatory attacks.
On Thursday, the British cabinet unanimously backed joining the United States and France in attacking militant targets in Iraq. But the government said it would not seek to extend its deployment to Syria without a further vote in Parliament. On Thursday, the British cabinet unanimously backed joining the United States and France in attacking militant targets in Iraq. But the government said it would not seek to extend its deployment to Syria without another vote in Parliament.
The British defense secretary, Michael Fallon, quoted Secretary of State John Kerry as estimating that the campaign could last two to three years. "That looks like a long haul to me,” Mr. Fallon said.The British defense secretary, Michael Fallon, quoted Secretary of State John Kerry as estimating that the campaign could last two to three years. "That looks like a long haul to me,” Mr. Fallon said.
Even as Britain prepared to join the United States in the airstrikes, relations between the two countries’ security services grew strained after the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James B. Comey, said an ISIS figure depicted in jihadi videos as beheading two American journalists and a British aid worker had been identified. Even as Britain prepared to join the United States in the airstrikes, relations between the two countries’ security services grew strained after the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James B. Comey, said an ISIS figure shown in jihadi videos as beheading two American journalists and a British aid worker had been identified.
While Mr. Comey did not provide a name, British security officials were widely quoted as expressing frustration that the disclosure could jeopardize investigations by counterterrorism officials.While Mr. Comey did not provide a name, British security officials were widely quoted as expressing frustration that the disclosure could jeopardize investigations by counterterrorism officials.