Cameron makes case for UK to join Syria war
Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday argued his case to MPs for Britain to join air strikes in Syria ahead of a vote expected at a later date, with signs of opposition weakening after the Paris attacks.
"If we won't act now, when our friend and ally France has been struck in this way, then our friends and allies can be forgiven for asking: If not now, when?" Cameron asked parliament.
Cameron argued there was a legal basis for intervention for self-defence because of the threat posed by Islamic State jihadists at home, and said Britain should not "sub-contract" its security to allies.
"We have to deny a safe haven for ISIL in Syria. The longer ISIL is allowed to grow in Syria, the greater the threat it will pose," he said in a written statement on the issue, using another word for IS.
Cameron called for "patience and persistence" and outlined a seven-point strategy for Syria, including diplomatic and humanitarian efforts and planning for what will happen if President Bashar al-Assad falls.
Cameron is expected to call a vote in parliament on the issue before recess begins on December 17.
This will come two years after a previous vote for military action in Syria failed after the main opposition Labour Party voted against.
Cameron has stepped up pressure on MPs to vote for strikes after IS claimed responsibility for the November 13 attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people.
Critics have argued that joining the campaign could increase the risk of Britain becoming a target.
But Cameron argued that Britain was already a target, pointing to the killings of 30 British tourists by an IS gunman in a Tunisian resort in June in which a total of 38 people were killed.
He also said that Britain was already assisting in the air campaign on Syria with surveillance.
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