Defeating Islamic State (IS) will require patience and persistence, British prime minister David Cameron warned last night as RAF warplanes mounted their first strikes against the extremists in Syria.
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Sources sources say the oil field was worth as much as 10 per cent of Islamic State’s war-chest of several billion pounds.
Obama, Oct. 21, 2011, announcing a complete USA troop withdrawal from Iraq: “So today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year”.
So, will more air strikes hinder or help ISIL?
President Barack Obama said in an interview this did not mean a large scale ground assault like the 2003 US invasion of Iraq “with battalions that are moving across the desert”. “But what I’ve been very clear about is that we are going to systematically squeeze and ultimately destroy ISIL and that requires us having a military component to that”, Mr Obama added, using a common acronym for the militants.
MPs voted by 397 to 223 – a majority of 174 – in favour of extending British action against IS into its Syrian strongholds.
Most of the world’s powers are now flying combat missions over Iraq and Syria against Islamic State.
“We all know this will be a long and challenging fight, but our coalition is united and resolute”, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.
Britain’s airstrikes contribute only a small portion of the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve. For example, the Americans want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go, while the Russians are the main backers of the regime, saying the only sustainable alternative to IS is restoring the Syrian statehood.
The Charles de Gaulle has launched raids against Islamic State bases since the November 13 attacks that killed 130 in Paris.
Last week President Vladimir Putin said after meeting French counterpart Francois Hollande that the two agreed to “exchange information” about the location of jihadists and indicated that he would avoid targeting the “healthy part of the opposition” in Syria.
“I think, due to their behaviour, Labour members who are part of Momentum should resign from Momentum and just stay within the Labour Party”.
Turkey would have cause to regret its actions “more than once”, Putin said.
Combined US and Russian air strikes in Syria have contained Isis but not deprived it of significant territory.
Mr Cameron is under fresh pressure over his claims that 70,000 fighters in Syria would be able to take on ISIS.
He said reaching an agreement was “absolutely crucial but we can’t wait for that to happen before we start taking action against Daesh”. Nevertheless, as this week’s cover story explores, evidence is emerging that U.S. forces have been engaged in fighting IS on the ground. Or is his only plan, as that of his allies in the West, to target the group from the air?
Defence companies like BAE Systems, which makes Tornado fighter-bombers, could see share prices continue to rise as the UK’s involvement in the war in Syria intensifies.
INSKEEP: In about thirty seconds or so, do you feel that you have a strategy to win or that simply you are working your way toward, groping your way towards some way to deal with an incredibly complex situation?
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In a policy reversal, the United States on October 30 said it would deploy up to 50 U.S. special forces to Syria to coordinate on the ground with US-backed rebels.
