Britain to begin airstrikes in Syria
LONDON – British lawmakers voted by a wide margin Wednesday to join the international campaign of airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Syria, after Prime Minister David Cameron asserted that bombing the “medieval monsters” in their heartland would make Britain safer.
The 397-223 vote in the House of Commons means Royal Air Force fighter jets – already operating against IS in neighboring Iraq from a base in Cyprus – could be flying over Syria within days or even hours.
Anti-war protesters outside Parliament booed as they learned the result of the vote. The decision came after an emotional 10½-hour debate in which Cameron said that Britain must strike the militants in their heartland and not “sit back and wait for them to attack us.”
Opponents argued that Britain’s entry into Syria’s crowded airspace would make little difference, and said Cameron’s military plan was based on wishful thinking that overlooked the messy reality of the Syrian civil war.
Cameron has long wanted to target IS in Syria, but had been unsure of getting majority support in the House of Commons until now.
The mood has changed following the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, claimed by IS, that killed 130 people.
Associated Press
