Cameron makes case for UK to join Syria sir strikes

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Dec 02 2015 | 7:33 PM IST
UK will be a safer place if it answers the call from its allies to join in the air strikes on Syria, Prime Minister David Cameron said today as he asked lawmakers to take a more aggressive stance on Islamic State (IS) ahead of a crucial vote in the parliament.
Cameron was making the case for Britain to target IS terrorists in Syria during a day-long debate today expected to last around 10 hours.
"The question before the House today is how we keep the British people safe from the threat posed by ISIL. This is not about whether we want to fight terrorism, it's about how best we do that," he told MPs during a House of Commons debate.
"We should answer the call from our allies. The action we propose is legal, it is necessary and it is the right thing to do to keep our country safe," he said.
The Conservative party leader was repeatedly asked to apologise by Opposition Labour MPs for comments he reportedly made to fellow Conservative MPsyesterday, urging them not to vote with "a bunch of terrorism sympathisers".
He refused to do so, saying only: "I respect people who come to a different view from the government... I am not pretending that the answers are simple, the situation in Syria is incredibly complex."
He stressed the terror threat from the IS, which he referred to as "Daesh", another term for the Islamist extremists.
"The question is this: do we work with our allies to degrade and destroy this threat and do we go after these terrorists in their heartlands? Or do we sit back and wait for them to attack us?"
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn opposes bombing but has given MPs a free vote amid divisions within his own ranks.
Corbyn's aides say as many as 90 Labour MPs could back the government and with both the Democratic Unionist Party and the Liberal Democrats backing action, Cameron is expected to win parliamentary approval for the UK to intervene militarily in the four-year-old conflict in Syria.
A vote is expected later in the day.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 02 2015 | 7:33 PM IST

Next Story