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Britain rules out Iraq military action Britain to help with aid airdrops to besieged Yazidi people in Iraq
(34 minutes later)
David Cameron has given his backing to Barack Obama’s decision to authorise limited air strikes in northern Iraq. The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Friday morning to discuss what more the UK can do to help those in need of water, food and shelter in the region. Britain will help drop aid to the besieged Yazidi people in northern Iraq, the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, has said after a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee in London.
Downing Street has said the UK will not be joining the US in military action, after Obama announced an American campaign of aid drops and possible air strikes. UK officials met in the Foreign Office on Thursday night to discuss the issue and have been in touch with the prime minister, who is on holiday in Portugal. Planned humanitarian aid drops will include British aid, including food water and emergency supplies.
Fallon stressed Britain will not be involved in US military strikes saying: “Our focus is on assisting that humanitarian mission and using our military in support of the Americans in terms of refuelling and surveillance to underpin their mission and to add to it with food drops of our own.
“We welcome what the Americans are doing now to, in particular to bring humanitarian relief, and to prevent any further suffering.”
Earlier, David Cameron gave his backing to Barack Obama’s decision to authorise limited air strikes in northern Iraq. Downing Street has said the UK will not be joining the US in military action, after Obama announced an American campaign of aid drops and possible air strikes.
UK officials met in the Foreign Office on Thursday night to discuss the issue and have been in touch with the prime minister, who is on holiday in Portugal.
Cameron said in a statement: “I am extremely concerned by the appalling situation in Iraq and the desperate situation facing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. And I utterly condemn the barbaric attacks being waged by Isil terrorists across the region.Cameron said in a statement: “I am extremely concerned by the appalling situation in Iraq and the desperate situation facing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. And I utterly condemn the barbaric attacks being waged by Isil terrorists across the region.
“I am especially concerned for the minority Yazidi community now trapped on Mount Sinjar, where they have fled for their lives. They fear slaughter if they descend back down the slopes but face starvation and dehydration if they remain on the mountain. The world must help them in their hour of desperate need.”“I am especially concerned for the minority Yazidi community now trapped on Mount Sinjar, where they have fled for their lives. They fear slaughter if they descend back down the slopes but face starvation and dehydration if they remain on the mountain. The world must help them in their hour of desperate need.”
He added: “Last night, the UK chaired a meeting of the United Nations security council to ensure a strong international response to the crisis and this morning the defence secretary will chair a Cobra [meeting] on the issue. I have tasked officials to urgently establish what more we can do to provide help to those affected, including those in grave need of food, water and shelter in the Sinjar area.“I welcome President Obama’s decision to accept the Iraqi government’s request for help and to conduct targeted US air strikes, if necessary, to help Iraqi forces as they fight back against Isil terrorists to free the civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar. And I fully agree with the president that we should stand up for the values we believe in – the right to freedom and dignity, whatever your religious beliefs.”He added: “Last night, the UK chaired a meeting of the United Nations security council to ensure a strong international response to the crisis and this morning the defence secretary will chair a Cobra [meeting] on the issue. I have tasked officials to urgently establish what more we can do to provide help to those affected, including those in grave need of food, water and shelter in the Sinjar area.“I welcome President Obama’s decision to accept the Iraqi government’s request for help and to conduct targeted US air strikes, if necessary, to help Iraqi forces as they fight back against Isil terrorists to free the civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar. And I fully agree with the president that we should stand up for the values we believe in – the right to freedom and dignity, whatever your religious beliefs.”
No 10 stressed there was no plan to be involved in air strikes. But it is inevitable that UK officials will be looking to see whether air forces could be used to help with food drops.
Cameron’s efforts to back military intervention in Syria a year ago were rebuffed by the Commons and so he will tread carefully before suggesting any British military involvement. If there is any such move he would be under pressure to recall parliament, and some MPs will be concerned that even limited humanitarian efforts could lead to mission creep and a deeper involvement to stop Isis.Cameron’s efforts to back military intervention in Syria a year ago were rebuffed by the Commons and so he will tread carefully before suggesting any British military involvement. If there is any such move he would be under pressure to recall parliament, and some MPs will be concerned that even limited humanitarian efforts could lead to mission creep and a deeper involvement to stop Isis.
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, said the government “should be speaking up, speaking out, and acting quickly to ensure that the international community does not simply walk by on the other side as this persecution increases”.Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, said the government “should be speaking up, speaking out, and acting quickly to ensure that the international community does not simply walk by on the other side as this persecution increases”.
He added: “President Obama was right to authorise limited air strikes to prevent the slaughter of these terrified and vulnerable people, and to support the humanitarian air drops of food and water.He added: “President Obama was right to authorise limited air strikes to prevent the slaughter of these terrified and vulnerable people, and to support the humanitarian air drops of food and water.
“The UK government has previously offered urgent humanitarian aid to help support Iraq’s people, and provided limited counter-terror assistance to the Iraqi Government. Labour has welcomed both these steps and would urge the UK Government to continue to offer that assistance to Iraq in the crucial days ahead.”“The UK government has previously offered urgent humanitarian aid to help support Iraq’s people, and provided limited counter-terror assistance to the Iraqi Government. Labour has welcomed both these steps and would urge the UK Government to continue to offer that assistance to Iraq in the crucial days ahead.”
The chair of the intelligence and security select committee, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, said he welcomed the US air strikes.The chair of the intelligence and security select committee, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, said he welcomed the US air strikes.
He said: “What we are dealing with at the moment – the purposes of today and the next few days – is a specific humanitarian threat to 150,000 people, many of them on top of the mountain taken refuge there in appalling conditions, and tens of thousands that have fled elsewhere.He said: “What we are dealing with at the moment – the purposes of today and the next few days – is a specific humanitarian threat to 150,000 people, many of them on top of the mountain taken refuge there in appalling conditions, and tens of thousands that have fled elsewhere.
“It is a limited action that not only has the approval of the Iraqi government and has been the subject of the UN security council, and can make a massive difference in saving lives.”“It is a limited action that not only has the approval of the Iraqi government and has been the subject of the UN security council, and can make a massive difference in saving lives.”
Rifkind condemned the Iraq invasion in 2003 as “a foolish exercise that has caused massive instability in Iraq, including a fundamental split between the Sunni and Shia communities”.Rifkind condemned the Iraq invasion in 2003 as “a foolish exercise that has caused massive instability in Iraq, including a fundamental split between the Sunni and Shia communities”.
Obama said in a late-night televised address that military planes had carried out humanitarian air drops in the region, and America would take action if the lives of its personnel in Iraq were at risk from Islamist militants.Obama said in a late-night televised address that military planes had carried out humanitarian air drops in the region, and America would take action if the lives of its personnel in Iraq were at risk from Islamist militants.
The Foreign Office has advised British nationals not to travel to the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. Britons already in Kurdistan should remove themselves from areas close to the fighting, a statement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.
Britons in towns to the south-west of Irbil were advised to leave immediately. The FCO said it was advising against “all but essential” travel to the remainder of the Kurdistan region and the rest of Iraq, as that the security situation in the region could deteriorate quickly.