UK's Cameron Pushes for Syria Airstrikes With or Without UN Mandate

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has reinforced his push for UK military intervention against ISIL targets in Syria, saying he would outline a "comprehensive strategy" for airstrikes, regardless of whether the UK had permission from the UN.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Cameron launched a renewed push to extend British anti-ISIL activity into Syria, signaling that he would ask MPs to vote on the matter before Christmas.

"We must ask ourselves if we really are doing all we can be doing, all we should be doing, to deal with the threat of ISIL and the threat is poses to us directly," the prime minister said in an earlier statement.

The renewed push for action in Syria comes despite opposition from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the UK cross-party Foreign Affairs Committee, which recently released a report saying British airstrikes in Syria would only serve as a "distraction" and wouldn't help with devising an overall approach to defeating ISIL.

During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Cameron said he would personally address the Foreign Affairs Committee's concerns and outline an extensive plan for long-term peace in Syria, adding:

"I believe part of that is taking action against ISIL."

Cameron Pressed on UN Mandate

There are also lingering questions surrounding the legality of any potential UK bombing campaign in Syria, given that Britain doesn't have a UN mandate and hasn't sought the permission of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Cameron refused to say whether he would push for a UN mandate on Syria when asked by MPs, adding that while it was "preferable" to have United Nations approval, he criticized Russia for having different goals in regards to Syria.

Britain, along with representatives of the US, France and Saudi Arabia agreed to work with Russia and Iran on the matter of a Syrian peace deal during a peace conference in Vienna on Saturday...
  (Sputnik)
  18/11/15