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British parliament votes in favour of airstrikes against IS

Air strikes could begin within days.

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A total of 66 Labour MPs sided with the government as David Cameron secured a larger than expected Commons majority.

Britain’s House of Commons on Wednesday voted to support a government motion on extending Britain airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) to Syria after 10 hours of intense debate.

Shadow International Development Secretary Diane Abbott said Mr Corbyn was more in line with the public than the prime minister, telling the BBC that “very soon public opinion will tire of Cameron’s war”.

George Galloway, the former MP for Bradford West, told MEMO: “I haven’t given up hope that we can win this vote in parliament tomorrow evening, and I am certain that we can deprive the prime minister of the clear majority which he said was necessary before Britain entered the war in Syria”.

Corbyn called for Cameron to explain “how British bombing in Syria will contribute to a comprehensive, negotiated, political settlement of the Syrian war”.

Critics say the bombing raids may actually help Islamic State recruit more supporters by presenting Western countries as foreign invaders.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – who represents the left wing of the party – spoke against what he called a “reckless and half-baked intervention”.

The motion, requesting British “military action, specifically airstrikes, exclusively against IS in Syria”, was approved by 397 votes to 223, Xinhua reported. He also welcomes news that Germany may commit up to 1,200 support troops to the mission.

Despite talk of increased global cooperation, tension has soared between Russia and Turkey after the shooting down of a Russian military jet by Turkish forces last week.

“It recognises airstrikes are not an end in themselves but part of a much wider process to bring the fighting in Syria to an end, free people from Daesh atrocities and make the world a safer place”.

The British debate was sometimes bad-tempered as opposition lawmakers demanded Cameron apologize for remarks, reportedly made at a closed-door meeting, in which he branded opponents a “bunch of terrorist sympathizers”.

Worcester’s Robin Walker, who admitted earlier today he was not absolutely certain of supporting Mr Cameron tonight, backed it as did Worcestershire’s other MPs.

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From the passionate speeches in the House to the anti-war protesters outside Parliament, the debate recalled Britain’s divisive 2003 decision to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on what turned out to be false claims about Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction. “It’s hard-headed common sense”, he said.

British Parliament