British leaders debate over extending airstrikes in Syria

MPs have overwhelmingly backed United Kingdom air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria, by 397 votes to 223, after an impassioned 10-hour Commons debate.

“A strike was made from over Syria”, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman told the AP the planes had conducted strikes in Syria, and details about their targets would be provided later Thursday.

President Barack Obama is cheering signs that coalition allies are deepening their involvement in the campaign against the Islamic State.

The House of Commons has voted in favour of extending United Kingdom air strikes on Daesh to Syria. The deployment still needs final approval, but Obama says it’s a sign that Germany is committed to fighting a “shared threat”.

‘The action we propose is legal, it is necessary and it is the right thing to do to keep our country safe, ‘ Cameron said.

Opening the debate on Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain “should not wait any longer” before reducing the treat from IS to its security.

“And we are here faced by fascists; not just their calculated brutality, but their belief they are superior to every single one of us in this chamber tonight and all of the people we represent; they hold us in contempt, they hold our values in contempt, they hold our belief in tolerance and democracy in contempt, they hold our democracy, the means by which we make our decision tonight, in contempt. What we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated”.

The West says Assad must go.

Intervening against the extremist forces who call themselves the Islamic State in Syria – it seemed impossible less than a month ago.

US officials had hoped Russia would change its bombing focus after the October 31 attack on a Russian airliner over Egypt, which killed 224 people.

Breedlove said the “vast majority of their sorties” targeted moderate groups.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to apologise for branding opponents of airstrikes in Syria “terrorist sympathisers”.

Cameron did not retract the comments but said “there’s honor in voting for, there’s honor in voting against” the motion to back airstrikes. Lawmakers in the House of Commons rebuffed Cameron’s call for a strong response to allegations the Syrian government had used chemical weapons in the civil war. Many lawmakers came to regret supporting the war and ensuing chaos, and blamed then-Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair for lacking a plan for post-war reconstruction.

Labour leader Corbyn said “the specter of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya… looms over this debate”. “It’s hard-headed common sense”.

But Cameron said doing nothing was a worse option.

Lawless reported from London.