Page 9 - Aruba Today
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WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 27 November 2015
Cameron: UK must attack IS in Syria to deny group safe haven
JILL LAWLESS mons vote on airstrikes. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron leaves 10 Downing thorities have foiled seven
Associated Press The Royal Air Force is part Street to attend Parliament in London, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015. attacks in the past year ei-
LONDON (AP) — British of a U.S.-led coalition at- Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain must join airstrikes ther planned or inspired by
Prime Minister David Cam- tacking IS militants in Iraq, in Syria to deny the Islamic State group a “safe haven” from IS.
eron urged skeptical law- but not in Syria. Camer- which to plot mass-casualty attacks around the world. Cameron said he would
makers to back airstrikes on has been reluctant to only seek a vote in Parlia-
on the Islamic State group seek backing for strikes in (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) ment if “there is a clear
in Syria, saying Thursday Syria since lawmakers vot- majority for action,” so as
that the Paris attacks have ed down his 2013 plan to wounded in Paris. He argued that military ac- not to hand IS “a publicity
given the fight new urgen- launch RAF strikes against coup.”
cy and Britain owes it to the forces of Syrian Presi- He said airstrikes should be tion was legal under the The main opposition La-
key allies to act. dent Bashar Assad. bour Party remains divid-
Cameron told the House Many Britons are wary of part of a “comprehensive U.N. charter’s right to self- ed. Leader Jeremy Cor-
of Commons that Presi- getting drawn in to anoth- byn, whose left-wing views
dent Barack Obama and er Middle Eastern conflict overall strategy” to destroy defense. And he said while are at odds with some of
French President Francois after messy, bloody wars in IS, end the Syrian war and ground forces would also his lawmakers, said military
Hollande had urged Britain Iraq and Libya. help rebuild the country. be needed, they would action could have “unin-
to join the military cam- Earlier this month, Parlia- tended consequences”
paign in Syria. ment’s Foreign Affairs Se- Attempting to allay legisla- not be British. — as it did in Iraq, Libya
“These are our closest allies lect Committee said British and Afghanistan. He wrote
and they want our help,” airstrikes would be “inco- tors’ concerns, Cameron Cameron said airstrikes Thursday to Labour legis-
he said. herent” and ineffective lators to say he wouldn’t
“We have to hit these ter- without a plan to end Syr- answered questions for would not increase the al- back airstrikes because
rorists in their heartlands. ia’s four-year civil war. more than two hours in the ready-high risk of an attack Cameron had not set out
We have not and we must Cameron replied Thursday House of Commons. in Britain. He said British au- “a coherent strategy” to
not shirk our responsibility with a 36-page letter, argu- defeat IS.
for security or hand it to ing that Britain should act Labour’s leadership in Par-
others.” to deny the Islamic State liament met Thursday, but
Some previously skeptical group a “safe haven” didn’t decide whether to
lawmakers said they were from which to plot mass- allow the party’s lawmak-
convinced, but Cameron casualty attacks like the ers a free vote. Another
has not yet announced a Nov. 13 rampage that left meeting is scheduled for
date for a House of Com- 130 dead and hundreds Monday.q
