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| Syria air strikes conducted by UK military pilots | Syria air strikes conducted by UK military pilots |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| UK pilots embedded with coalition allies' forces have been conducting air strikes over Syria against the Islamic State group, it has emerged. | UK pilots embedded with coalition allies' forces have been conducting air strikes over Syria against the Islamic State group, it has emerged. |
| This is despite UK MPs voting in 2013 against military action in Syria. | This is despite UK MPs voting in 2013 against military action in Syria. |
| About 20 personnel, including three pilots, have been embedded with other coalition nations' forces, including the US and Canada, the BBC understands. | About 20 personnel, including three pilots, have been embedded with other coalition nations' forces, including the US and Canada, the BBC understands. |
| Tory MP John Baron said the personnel should be withdrawn as parliament "said no to military intervention". | Tory MP John Baron said the personnel should be withdrawn as parliament "said no to military intervention". |
| He told the BBC the government should explain its position as it showed "insensitivity to parliament's will". | He told the BBC the government should explain its position as it showed "insensitivity to parliament's will". |
| "Those troops or individuals should be withdrawn from the embedded programme whilst this vote holds sway, while it stills hold authority, until we vote again," he said. | "Those troops or individuals should be withdrawn from the embedded programme whilst this vote holds sway, while it stills hold authority, until we vote again," he said. |
| The MoD said personnel embedded with the US, French and Canadian armed forces had been "authorised to deploy with their units to participate in coalition operations" against IS. | |
| "UK embeds operate as if they were the host nation's personnel, under that nation's chain of command," it said. | "UK embeds operate as if they were the host nation's personnel, under that nation's chain of command," it said. |
| The MoD said UK pilots were not currently taking part in the region, but ministers would have been aware of their recent role. | The MoD said UK pilots were not currently taking part in the region, but ministers would have been aware of their recent role. |
| The information emerged following a Freedom of Information request submitted by the human rights group Reprieve. | The information emerged following a Freedom of Information request submitted by the human rights group Reprieve. |
| Sir Michael Graydon, former chief of the air staff, said the exchange programme between the UK and its allies had been happening for "many decades". | Sir Michael Graydon, former chief of the air staff, said the exchange programme between the UK and its allies had been happening for "many decades". |
| "My personal view is that what the government has decided in this particular case under these circumstances is right", he told the BBC. | "My personal view is that what the government has decided in this particular case under these circumstances is right", he told the BBC. |
| "There are very few people involved in this, there are none at the moment, the chances are there won't be for another two or three months. | "There are very few people involved in this, there are none at the moment, the chances are there won't be for another two or three months. |
| "I just think the practice of this is really much more sensible - to allow them to be embedded and to operate, which is what they have been doing, not to make a huge issue of it." | "I just think the practice of this is really much more sensible - to allow them to be embedded and to operate, which is what they have been doing, not to make a huge issue of it." |
| Jennifer Gibson, staff attorney at Reprieve, said: "Documents obtained by Reprieve indicate that UK personnel have already been involved in bombing missions over Syria for some time - making the current debate over whether Britain should carry out such strikes somewhat obsolete." | |
| She said it was "alarming" that parliament and the public had been "kept in the dark about this for so long" and she called for "an open and honest debate" about UK involvement in Iraq and Syria. | |
| Commons vote | |
| On 30 August 2013 MPs rejected possible UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to deter the use of chemical weapons. | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron said he would respect the defeat of a government motion by 285-272, and ruled out joining US-led strikes. | |
| In September last year parliament approved UK participation in air strikes against IS extremists in Iraq by 524 votes to 43. | |
| UK defence secretary Michael Fallon last month urged MPs to consider backing air strikes on IS in Syria and said the extremists needed to be targeted "at source". | |
| The UK does not need the authorisation of MPs to launch raids but Mr Fallon has said they will have the final say. | |
| Labour has indicated it would not oppose military action in Syria. Acting leader Harriet Harman has said the case for air strikes was now different to the situation in 2013, when Labour voted against UK military action in Syria. | |
| Britain has already been carrying out surveillance and air-to-air refuelling operations over Syria. |