Ukraine in Arabic | British PM: Airstrikes on IS are in national interest
KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ British Prime Minister David Cameron speaking at the United Nations in New York has said he wants Britain to join the airstrikes after the Iraqi government requested London’s help in fighting the militants.
Parliament is due to vote on the action this Friday.
Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, has said that his party will back Mr. Cameron in the Commons.
The Prime Minister used his speech to set out his plans to “destroy” the terrorists, whom he said were a “clear and present danger to the United Kingdom”.
However, he warned that British involvement in the conflict could last a “long time”.
He said that the controversy over the 2003 war in Iraq must not prevent Britain taking military action against IS terrorists who want to “maim and kill” British citizens.
“Of course it is absolutely right that we should learn the lessons of the past, especially of what happened in Iraq a decade ago,” Mr. Cameron said. “But we have to learn the right lessons. Yes to careful preparation; no to rushing to join a conflict without a clear plan. But we must not be so frozen with fear that we don’t do anything at all.”
The Prime Minister also raised the possibility of joining the Americans in air strikes in Syria.
However, he made it clear that there would be separate debate and vote in the Commons if there are plans to intervene in Syria.
The decision to launch air strikes in northern Iraq follows the murder of David Haines, a British aid worker.
Alan Henning, another aid worker, and John Cantlie, a journalist, are also being held by the terrorists.
Mr. Cameron described the cruelty of the IS fighters as “medieval”.
“The conflict in Iraq and Syria is shocking the world with its barbarity,” he said. “The cruelty is being meted out – beheadings, eyes being gouged out, rape – is horrific. It is literally medieval in character.”
He backed a UN resolution imposing global travel bans on foreign fighters planning to join overseas conflicts, adding that 500 people from the UK had travelled to fight in Iraq and Syria. “We are dealing with psychopathic, murderous, brutal people who will stop at nothing to carry out dreadful acts on these hostages,” he said.
Asked whether he would like the British-accented terrorist responsible for the murders, known as Jihadi John, to face justice in the UK, Mr. Cameron said: “I’m not sure I can describe in words what I’d like to happen to him but I’m not going to say any more about it. He should see justice one way or another.”
Mr. Cameron’s decision to intervene in Iraq came as Isil-linked militants in Algeria beheaded a French tourist they captured on Sunday. Herve Gourdel, 55, was captured by the Islamist group Jund al-Khilifa while hiking in the Djurdjura National Park.
The terrorists had threatened to kill him if the French did not stop bombing targets in Iraq.
America has already conducted a series of air strikes on IS targets in northern Iraq and Syria. President Barack Obama said the coalition of countries taking on IS would “dismantle this network of death”.
He added: “No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning — no negotiation — with this brand of evil.
“The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death.”
Shortly before addressing the UN on Wednesday, Mr. Cameron announced that he was recalling Parliament on Friday so that MPs can vote on the military intervention. He wants to avoid a repeat of last year’s Syria vote, when Labour and dozens of Conservative MPs voted against military action.
However, Mr. Cameron suggested that he was confident that all three parties would support his plans tomorrow. He spoke by telephone to Ed Miliband to discuss the parliamentary recall and the plans for bombing raids.
“We had a good conversation and my office has been in touch with him,” Mr. Cameron said.
“He has had a number of briefings from the team at the National Security Secretariat. I’m confident that we are proceeding with this on an all-party basis — well, a three major party basis.”
Mr Miliband said on Wednesday: “We cannot turn away from the threat of IS which is a murderous organization, has taken British hostages, threatens the stability of the region and is therefore a threat to the UK’s national interest.
“That is why we will be supporting the Government’s proposal for UK air strikes in Iraq against IS.”
The Prime Minister’s comments came after new images emerged from Raqqa in Syria showing children being brainwashed by the extremists.
The US has intensified air strikes on Syrian targets in the past 24 hours. Hundreds of militants including Mohsin al-Fadhil, the head of Khorasan, an al-Qaeda splinter group, were understood to have been killed.
It was also reported that a 19-year-old from Brighton, who had gone to fight alongside jihadists in Syria, had been killed. Khalil al-Britani, whose real name was understood to be Ibrahim Kamara, died after a US air strike on Aleppo, it was claimed.
Mr. Cameron decided to intervene after a direct request from Haider Al-Abadi, Iraq’s new prime minister.
He also met Hassan Rouhani, the president of Iran, on Wednesday in an effort to build support for air strikes across the Middle East. It was the first face-to-face meeting with an Iranian leader since 1979.
“This is completely different to 2003,” Mr. Cameron said shortly before addressing the UN. “I think everyone can see that IS is a direct threat to the UK. They have taken hostages, they have conducted plots to kill and maim British citizens.”
However, the Prime Minister was clear that it would take a “long time” to defeat IS. He said: “This is going to take time, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s right to be part of this action. The Iraqi government has requested it and we have capabilities that are needed for it and so it’s the right thing to do.”
Asked about the possibility of military action in Syria, he added: “If we were to do anything in Syria, there would be a separate discussion and a separate vote."
Michael Fallon, the Defense Secretary, said MPs must “step up” and authorize British air strikes against IS.
