Hammond Rules Out UK Airstrikes In Syria

The Foreign Secretary has said the UK will not be taking part in airstrikes in Syria after the US said it would take action.

It comes after Barack Obama authorised military attacks on Islamic State fighters in Syria, as well as Iraq, for the first time saying the terrorists had a free passage across the countries' borders.

Mr Obama said the move did not amount to support for the Assad regime in Syria, which has always claimed the terrorists were behind the uprising in the country, which is now in its third year.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Philip Hammond said the UK would not take part in the military action in Syria and said the decision would not be "revisited".

His comments appeared to be at odds with earlier comments from Downing Street. A spokesman said the Prime Minister agreed with the President's position on both Iraq and Syria. He added the UK was not at the stage of making a decision on military intervention.

Barack Obama makes his speech in the White House

A number of MPs had voiced concerns about taking action in Syria, where years of civil war have allowed IS fighters to gain a stronghold and exploit unrest over the Nouri al-Maliki administration and move on Iraq.  

They feared it would be seen as tacit backing of the Syrian president Bashar al-.Assad.

Last year the UK was on the brink of launching military action against Mr Assad's regime for using chemical weapons against his own people.

David Cameron suffered a humiliating Commons vote defeat after the Labour leader Ed Miliband refused to lend his backing to missile strikes in the country.

President Obama also shied away from strikes.

Announcing the airstrikes in Syria in a 13-minute White House speech, during which he committed the US to a potentially lengthy military campaign, Mr Obama said he would seek out the terrorists wherever there were.

He sad: "That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven."

More follows...

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Hammond Rules Out UK Airstrikes In Syria

Dengan url

http://terjunbebasopan.blogspot.com/2014/09/hammond-rules-out-uk-airstrikes-in-syria.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Hammond Rules Out UK Airstrikes In Syria

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Hammond Rules Out UK Airstrikes In Syria

sebagai sumbernya