The first Typhoon jet fighters left RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, for Cyprus to join the airstrikes, an hour after the Commons vote.
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The UK’s entry into the fight against ISIS comes closely on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s announcement that an expeditionary task force of American commandos would soon be deployed to northern Iraq to begin ground operations against the Islamic State on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border. Previously, British airstrikes against the brutal Islamist terrorist group had been limited to Iraq.
It is true that there are many Scots who have profound misgivings about the conflict – misgivings shared by this newspaper – and at the end of the 10-hour debate in the Commons, the key questions were still unanswered – what will the air strikes achieve without support from ground forces? who will provide the ground forces when they are needed? and what is the plan for rebuilding Syria in the aftermath?
The decision to extend bombing to Syria divided the Opposition Labour Party, opposed by its leader Jeremy Corbyn but supported by its foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn in a passionate speech in Parliament.
More fighter jets have been sent to RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus ahead of further sorties in Syria and continued raids in Iraq against Islamic State (IS), which is also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh.
The British contribution still forms only a tiny part of US-led “Operation Inherent Resolve”, which has been bombing ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria for more than a year with hundreds of aircraft.
The suppression of all dissent is paramount for the ruling elite, as it embarks on yet another war of conquest under such socially and politically polarised conditions.
Mr Fallon said the vote meant that Britain could finally play a full part in the US-led coalition attacking IS.
But the quest for unity was dealt a sharp blow last week when NATO-member Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
“We are at risk all the time anyway”. The official said Turkey has now sealed off its two main entry points from the terrorist group but said smuggling routes remain, and the U.S.is continuing to press Turkey to do more. Minutes after the speech, his energy minister announced the suspension of a gas pipeline project. Foreign ministers from the two countries were to meet in Belgrade later Thursday for the first time since the incident.
Russia’s Sergei Lavrov said he had heard nothing new from Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Lavrov did however welcome Britain joining air strikes in Syria, saying more universal efforts against Islamic State would be more effective.
Speaking at a European security conference in Belgrade, Serbia, Lavrov said “it is inexcusable to continue dividing terrorists into bad and moderate”. That’s why we have doubled the strike force available to you.
Slowly but surely, Barack Obama is edging the United States deeper into a war against the Islamic State group that looks set to dominate the past year of his presidency.
Aid programs that benefit the needy in Islamic State areas appear to have been scaled back, causing poverty to deepen, Syrian activists and aid workers say.
Mr Cameron also said reaching such an agreement was “absolutely crucial”. After the Turkish Air Force shot Russia’s Sukhoi-24 front-line bomber over Syria the situation has changed.
The mission came as Prime Minister David Cameron insisted British war planes can help to bring about a political settlement in the civil war-torn country. In remarks carried by Russian news agencies, he didn’t comment on the the “spy” claim but said he didn’t believe he had joined the Islamic State group.
Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in north London on December 2, 2015. This is the case despite Corbyn allowing Labour MPs a “free vote” on the issue, meaning they would not be censured or disciplined in any way for voting for war.
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“We must now confront this evil”.
