This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29057534
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Islamic State action 'not ruled out' by David Cameron | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Cameron has said he will not rule anything out in relation to military action against Islamic State, which is holding a Briton hostage. | |
| But speaking ahead of a Nato summit in Wales, the prime minister told the BBC any action, including military force, must not be "Western intervention over the heads of neighbouring states". | But speaking ahead of a Nato summit in Wales, the prime minister told the BBC any action, including military force, must not be "Western intervention over the heads of neighbouring states". |
| He and Barack Obama warned against an "isolationist approach" in the Times. | He and Barack Obama warned against an "isolationist approach" in the Times. |
| Mr Cameron also reiterated that the UK would not pay ransoms to kidnappers. | Mr Cameron also reiterated that the UK would not pay ransoms to kidnappers. |
| He said he is personally supervising government efforts to secure the release of a 44-year-old Briton being held by IS. | |
| The US is using air strikes against IS but Britain has not yet done so. Any action in the region must be "properly thought through and patiently delivered", said Mr Cameron. | The US is using air strikes against IS but Britain has not yet done so. Any action in the region must be "properly thought through and patiently delivered", said Mr Cameron. |
| Separately, there have been growing calls for talks with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to reinforce efforts against extremist group IS. | |
| 'Pursue national interests' | 'Pursue national interests' |
| When asked about the possibility of the UK taking military action, Mr Cameron said: "I certainly don't rule anything out. We should pursue our national interests. | When asked about the possibility of the UK taking military action, Mr Cameron said: "I certainly don't rule anything out. We should pursue our national interests. |
| "The most important thing to consider is that we mustn't see this as something where you have a Western intervention over the heads of neighbouring states and leaving others to pick up the pieces. | "The most important thing to consider is that we mustn't see this as something where you have a Western intervention over the heads of neighbouring states and leaving others to pick up the pieces. |
| "What's required is a strategy to help those on the ground, and to have an Iraqi government that can make a real difference, Kurdish forces that can make a difference, and then we ask what more we can do to help them. It needs to be that way round." | "What's required is a strategy to help those on the ground, and to have an Iraqi government that can make a real difference, Kurdish forces that can make a difference, and then we ask what more we can do to help them. It needs to be that way round." |
| He added that there was "no simple, straight-forward military led answer" but a "tough, long-term, intelligent approach" rather than a single intervention was required. | He added that there was "no simple, straight-forward military led answer" but a "tough, long-term, intelligent approach" rather than a single intervention was required. |
| The BBC's Bridget Kendall, at the Nato summit, said it was not the right forum to discuss a coalition to tackle IS, because leaders of some of the countries who would be part of such an agreement were not in Wales. | |
| Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he was sure Nato allies would consider seriously any request from the Iraqi government for assistance in dealing with the growing insurgency by IS. | |
| IS has threatened to kill the Briton it is holding unless US air strikes on its positions in Iraq are halted. | IS has threatened to kill the Briton it is holding unless US air strikes on its positions in Iraq are halted. |
| The threat came during a video posted online on Tuesday showing the killing of US journalist Steven Sotloff. IS killed another US journalist, James Foley, last month and had asked for a $132m (£80m) ransom for his release. | |
| The Briton has family in Scotland but relatives have asked the media not to name him. | |
| He was taken hostage in the village of Atmeh, in the Idlib province of north-west Syria, in March 2013 and was kidnapped along with an Italian aid worker and two Syrians, who have since been freed. | |
| Security threatened | |
| Mr Cameron said the UK had "the right policy of saying that we won't pay ransoms to terrorists who kidnap our citizens". | Mr Cameron said the UK had "the right policy of saying that we won't pay ransoms to terrorists who kidnap our citizens". |
| "I know that this is difficult for families when they are the victims of these terrorists - but I'm absolutely convinced from what I've seen that this terrorist organisation, and indeed others around the world, have made tens of millions of dollars from these ransoms - and they spend that money on arming themselves, on kidnapping more people and on plotting terrorist outrages, including in our own country," he said. | "I know that this is difficult for families when they are the victims of these terrorists - but I'm absolutely convinced from what I've seen that this terrorist organisation, and indeed others around the world, have made tens of millions of dollars from these ransoms - and they spend that money on arming themselves, on kidnapping more people and on plotting terrorist outrages, including in our own country," he said. |
| He also called on other world leaders to apply the same view. | He also called on other world leaders to apply the same view. |
| In their joint newspaper article, Mr Cameron and the US president said those who called for isolationism "misunderstood the nature of security in the 21st Century". | In their joint newspaper article, Mr Cameron and the US president said those who called for isolationism "misunderstood the nature of security in the 21st Century". |
| "Developments in other parts of the world, particularly in Iraq and Syria, threaten our security at home," they said. | "Developments in other parts of the world, particularly in Iraq and Syria, threaten our security at home," they said. |
| They also said the UK and US would "not waver in our determination to confront" IS, adding: "Countries like Britain and America will not be cowed by barbaric killers." | They also said the UK and US would "not waver in our determination to confront" IS, adding: "Countries like Britain and America will not be cowed by barbaric killers." |
| Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Wednesday that military action had not been ruled out. He also said "every possible option" would be considered to protect the British hostage. | |
| Meanwhile, former Defence Secretary Liam Fox called on the prime minister to support military action. | |
| "I detect a hardening of attitude among MPs who, with every atrocity, want to know why we're not using every means at our disposal to deal with the threat," he added. | "I detect a hardening of attitude among MPs who, with every atrocity, want to know why we're not using every means at our disposal to deal with the threat," he added. |
| A year ago, British MPs narrowly voted not to take military action against the regime of Syrian President Mr al-Assad, which was accused of using chemical weapons against its own people during the country's ongoing civil war. | A year ago, British MPs narrowly voted not to take military action against the regime of Syrian President Mr al-Assad, which was accused of using chemical weapons against its own people during the country's ongoing civil war. |
| But the regime opposes IS, leading to calls for talks with Mr Assad. | But the regime opposes IS, leading to calls for talks with Mr Assad. |
| Sir William Patey, a former British ambassador to Iraq and Saudi Arabia, said Britain "shouldn't rule out" a deal that "brings together the Assad regime and the known IS opposition together with Iran, with Russia, with the Saudis". | |
| Labour MP Peter Hain said the West could not "resolve the Syrian side of the conflict" with IS unless it dealt with Mr Assad. | |
| Ukraine crisis | Ukraine crisis |
| Mr Cameron also spoke about Russia, which has been widely accused of sending troops into Ukraine. | Mr Cameron also spoke about Russia, which has been widely accused of sending troops into Ukraine. |
| "The Ukrainians know that they have our support and... sanctions pressure is the right way to tell the Russians that what they are doing is unacceptable," he said. | "The Ukrainians know that they have our support and... sanctions pressure is the right way to tell the Russians that what they are doing is unacceptable," he said. |
| And in their Times article, Mr Cameron and Mr Obama said Nato must stand up to Russia. | And in their Times article, Mr Cameron and Mr Obama said Nato must stand up to Russia. |
| "With Russia trying to force a sovereign state to abandon its right to democracy at the barrel of a gun, we should support Ukraine's right to determine its own democratic future and continue our efforts to enhance Ukrainian capabilities," they wrote. | "With Russia trying to force a sovereign state to abandon its right to democracy at the barrel of a gun, we should support Ukraine's right to determine its own democratic future and continue our efforts to enhance Ukrainian capabilities," they wrote. |