Mr Cameron said there was "no more serious an issue" than deciding whether to commit British forces to the international effort to tackle IS and acknowledged the military effort would last "not just months, but years".
MPs will vote on whether to back the Royal Air Force joining the US-led bombing campaign, but British air strikes will be limited to Iraq rather than IS strongholds in Syria.
Opening the debate in the Commons, Mr Cameron said: "The question before the House today is how we keep the British people safe from the threat posed by Isil and, in particular, what role our armed forces should play in the international coalition to dismantle and ultimately destroy what President Obama has rightly called this network of death.
"There is no more serious an issue than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm's way to protect our country.
"This is not a threat on the far side of the world.
"Left unchecked, we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean, bordering a Nato member, with a declared and proven determination to attack our country and our people.
"This is not the stuff of fantasy - it is happening in front of us and we need to face up to it."
Mr Cameron said there was "a strong case for us to do more in Syria", but recognised that it would require more work to secure parliamentary approval of extending British involvement to that country.
He said the military action would come as part of a "clear comprehensive plan" which included "tough, uncompromising" measures at home to prevent attacks.
These included previously-announced new powers to seize passports, strip British nationality from dual nationals and ensure airlines comply with no-fly orders.
"In all of this, we are being clear about the cause of the terrorist threat we face," said the PM.
Labour veteran Dennis Skinner intervened to ask Mr Cameron: "How long will this war last and when will mission creep start?"
Mr Cameron replied: "This is going to be a mission that will take not just months but years, but I believe we have to be prepared for that commitment".............................http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0926/648130-syria/
26/9/14
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Related:
Syrian shells hit Turkish soil as Islamic State advances on Syrian border town
US government unaware of IS subway attack plot.- But he said the government would take seriously the information.
Obama pledges to continue building support for the coalition against ISIS/ISIL
U.S. too late on Syria, ex-Pentagon chief warns. --(It would take “a long time” to defeat ISIS)
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UK parliament votes overwhelmingly for airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq...
ReplyDeleteMPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of strikes, with 524 voting for and 43 voting against.
Britain’s three biggest parties, coalition government partners the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, plus the opposition Labour party, all officially backed the bombing campaign. The government said the intervention is legal under international law because it was requested by the Iraqi prime minister.
The motion did not propose any involvement in air strikes in Syria, where a US-Arab coalition began bombing IS militants on Tuesday. MPs last year rejected airstrikes on Syria to oppose the government of President Bashar Assad.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has urged Londoners to remain “vigilant” on public transport.
Cameron told MPs early in Friday's debate the situation in Syria is “more complicated” than Iraq because of its "brutal dictator" President Assad and the civil war that has been ongoing for the past three years.............................http://rt.com/uk/190844-parliament-vote-airstrikes-iraq/