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Conservatives hope Labour will back British bombing campaign in Syria | Conservatives hope Labour will back British bombing campaign in Syria |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The government will begin attempting to persuade Labour to back British involvement in a bombing campaign in Syria by inviting the party’s interim leader, Harriet Harman, and shadow defence secretary, Vernon Coaker to attend a meeting of the national security council. | |
The former Labour leader Ed Miliband was twice invited to the NSC, the cabinet group that discusses long-term defence and security issues, and the invitation to Harman comes after Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, said it was illogical that Britain was involved in a bombing campaign in Iraq but not in Syria. | |
Related: Syria airstrikes would fortify UK against Isis attacks, argues Michael Fallon | Related: Syria airstrikes would fortify UK against Isis attacks, argues Michael Fallon |
Cameron suffered probably his greatest parliamentary and political reverse in the last parliament when he failed to persuade the Labour party to back bombing in Syria in 2013 to punish President Assad for the use of chemical weapons on his own people. | Cameron suffered probably his greatest parliamentary and political reverse in the last parliament when he failed to persuade the Labour party to back bombing in Syria in 2013 to punish President Assad for the use of chemical weapons on his own people. |
Since Fallon made his remarks, Downing Street has been moderately encouraged by the open-minded response of the Labour party, but Cameron is certain not to make any formal proposal until Labour has elected a new leader in September. | Since Fallon made his remarks, Downing Street has been moderately encouraged by the open-minded response of the Labour party, but Cameron is certain not to make any formal proposal until Labour has elected a new leader in September. |
Cameron needs to convince Labour there is a long-term strategic plan in Syria since the battle is largely between Assad and Islamic State, two forces that Britain opposes. | |
Britain wants Assad removed as part of a transition to a new broad-based government and regards Isis as the source of many of the terror attacks in the west. Britain regards Raqqa in northern Syria as the capital of the terror networks, including the base of the attacks on British tourists in Tunisia. | |
Britain believes there is a thin hope that the Russian government will recognise that its continued support for Assad is undermining the chances of a peace in the Middle East, which would be in its interest | |
US-led air strikes in northern Syria have been stepped up in recent days as part of a bid to continue to target the oil and gas facilities that fund some of Isis’s operations. | |
Barack Obama said last week, after another review of his Syria strategy, that the US would be going after the Isis leadership and infrastructure in Syria, describing it as the “heart that pumps funds and propaganda to people around the world”. | Barack Obama said last week, after another review of his Syria strategy, that the US would be going after the Isis leadership and infrastructure in Syria, describing it as the “heart that pumps funds and propaganda to people around the world”. |
Brett McGurk, US deputy special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Isil, has disclosed that 86 coalition air strikes have been conducted since Wednesday, with efforts concentrated on Raqqa. | |
The US bombing campaign has been directly assisting the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection units, hitting targets in and around Tal Abyad, Kobani, Aleppo and Al-Bukamal. The aim has been to disable heavy weaponry and destroy bunkers. |
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