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UK MPs Authorise Syria Air Strikes Against Islamic State

posted by cmn32480 on Thursday December 03 2015, @04:45PM   Printer-friendly
from the joining-the-coalition dept.

azrael writes:

BBC reports:

MPs have overwhelmingly backed UK air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria, by 397 votes to 223, after an impassioned 10-hour Commons debate.

Four Tornado jets took off from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, after the vote. Their destination has not been confirmed.

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

The PM said they had "taken the right decision to keep the country safe" but opponents said the move was a mistake.

...

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn argued that the case for war "does not stack up" - but his party was split, with senior Labour figures, including members of the shadow cabinet voting with the government after they were given a free vote.

The 66 MPs who backed military action was equivalent to 29% of the parliamentary party.

[Editor's Note: For non-Brits, MP="member of parliament"]

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  • (Score: 2) by GlennC on Thursday December 03 2015, @07:56PM

    by GlennC (3656) on Thursday December 03 2015, @07:56PM (#271525)

    If you want boots on the ground, you'd better be prepared to put your own boots on.

    --
    Sorry folks...the world is bigger and more varied than you want it to be. Deal with it.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Thursday December 03 2015, @08:30PM

    by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Thursday December 03 2015, @08:30PM (#271542) Homepage
    That's one of the things the professional army is for.
    And a professional army's one of the things my taxes are for.
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 03 2015, @10:11PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 03 2015, @10:11PM (#271583)

      You should not so quickly dismiss throwing tens of thousands of human lives into a meat grinder just so you can feel safe from an attack every few years killing a dozen innocents in your own country. Those thousands you are willing to send off to die are innocent too.

      • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday December 04 2015, @11:04AM

        by PiMuNu (3823) on Friday December 04 2015, @11:04AM (#271760)

        Oh, and don't forget the thousands of people in whichever desert who will get caught up in the fighting. How many hundred thousand civilians died in the Iraq war? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War [wikipedia.org]

        Never mind, they have a towel on their heads, they don't count.

    • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Friday December 04 2015, @01:08AM

      by isostatic (365) on Friday December 04 2015, @01:08AM (#271643) Journal

      Is the army for defending a country, or for attacking another country?

      Sometimes the best defense is a good offence. This is VERY RARE.