UK’s Cameron plans Syria airstrike vote in Parliament

LONDON

Britain’s prime minister has given his strongest indication yet that he plans to launch airstrikes against Daesh in Syria.

David Cameron said Tuesday military action, which would have to be approved by the U.K. parliament, was vitally important because Daesh fighters were “plotting day by day to kill and maim people on the streets of Britain”.

But he admitted he may have to rely on the support of opposition parties to push through a parliamentary motion.

In an interview with BBC radio Tuesday morning, he said the U.K. was already conducting airstrikes over Iraq and supporting the “intensive military action that’s taking place against ISIL [Daesh] in Syria”.

“Would I like to go further and make sure Britain plays a part in what’s happening against ISIL in Syria? Yes, I would, and I think it would be the right thing for us to do,” he said. “I can’t put a timescale on the vote because it’s perfectly clear to me we have to go back to the House of Commons at a time when there’s a greater consensus across the House of Commons for that action.”

Cameron said he accepted some members of his own party were reluctant to support any military action in Syria, depriving him of enough votes to pass the motion.

Cameron also used the interview to criticize Russia’s decision to conduct strikes against all opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“My view has always been that Assad cannot play a part in Syria’s future. He is the butcher of his own people who has helped to created ISIL, he’s one of the recruiting sergeants for ISIL," he said.

“That’s why I think the Russians have made such a mistake by being indiscriminate in bombing other opponents of Assad including people who until recently they said they were prepared to talk to.”