Back In Conflict, But This Time It's Different

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

It has begun. Eleven years after the invasion that marked the beginning of the Iraq War, Britain is again involved in a conflict in the region.

The Government is (rightly) quick to point out why this time, it is different.

The Iraqi government has made a formal request for British help in defending itself against IS and the US-led coalition is broad based, with support from some countries in the Middle East.

Most significantly, British involvement is limited to airstrikes and ground troops have been explicitly ruled out.

The first British jets took off for northern Iraq on Saturday morning. Precise details of their mission is not known.

There are just six Tornado GR4 fighter bombers stationed in Cyprus. To put this in context, Denmark is deploying more war planes than Britain.

Denmark has more war planes than Britain in the current conflict

Ken Clarke has previously described the UK involvement as merely "symbolic", and others have argued that if it is so limited, what is the point of getting dragged into a potentially prolonged and complex conflict at all?

At the moment, UK military action is a halfway house.

Britain is not ignoring the crisis over IS and allowing other countries to get on with the campaign alone.

However, the involvement is incredibly limited.

Syria - where IS has its strongholds - is currently off limits. Ground troops are ruled out. MPs may have voted overwhelmingly in favour of airstrikes in Iraq, but many are extremely nervous about committing further.

The halfway house solution may work for the time being, but at some point the Government will have to decide whether the UK is fully in, or if it is out.

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Iraq: Islamic State Threat Is World's Problem

Iraq's deputy prime minister has told Sky News that it is the "duty of the world" to stand up against Islamic State extremists.

Saleh al Mutlaq also said he welcomed the UK parliament's decision to back airstrikes against the militants in his country.

He said IS was "not just the problem of Iraq. It is the problem of all countries".

Iraq's deputy prime minister Saleh al Mutlaq speaks to Sky News

"Outsiders" from nations including Britain, Australia and the emirate countries were fighting for IS and the coalition aerial raids should target militias as well as the jihadist group, he said.

Mr al Mutlaq said: "It is an invitation for every country which can participate in this coalition to do what they can in order to get rid of IS forever.

"Iraq is now fighting on behalf of the world."

He added: "It's the duty of the world to stand against this danger which is coming, maybe now to Iraq, but it will separate everywhere if it is not going to be fixed in this country and ended."

And he said without also targeting militias who "facilitated the presence of IS" there would not be stability in Iraq.

The Sunni IS extremists have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months and David Cameron said the group posed a direct threat to the UK.

RAF Tornado aircraft earlier left Cyprus for their first combat mission over Iraq.

A RAF Tornado GR4

They are poised to launch airstrikes against jihadists after Parliament on Friday gave the green light for military action in Iraq.

MPs voted by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - to endorse attacks on the insurgents in support of the US-led coalition, with Labour backing the Government motion.

Mr Cameron said the motion had been limited to Iraq in order to secure cross-party consensus.

And also to avoid a repeat of last year's damaging Commons defeat when Labour combined with Tory and Liberal Democrat rebels to block airstrikes against President Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

The strikes, under Operation Shader, are expected to be carried out by six Tornado GR4s which have been based at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus since last month where they have been deployed in a reconnaissance role.

Up to now, America and France have been conducting aerial strikes in Iraq in support of Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, while the US and Arab allies have attacked IS targets from the air in Syria.

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UK Military Planners Call Iraq Mission 'Dynamic'

By Tom Parmenter, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus

The send off for the RAF Tornado jets finished with a simple thumbs up from the ground crew waving them off.

The planning and preparation for British airstrikes is now at full pace at RAF Akrotiri and everyone on the base on Cyprus knows their mission has now escalated.

On Saturday morning the Tornado crews strode out across the tarmac, two teams of two, helmets on.

They knew the cameras were there to capture the moment that debate and politics gave way to military action. The deployment of British bombs in Iraq is now in their hands.

Now that this is a combat mission their identities are protected, all we know is that they are some of the RAF's most skilled and experienced individuals.

Their families will know that their loved ones are now going to war rather than simply flying reconnaissance missions over Iraq.

The intelligence gathering will continue apace on these sorties and there may be flights in the coming days and weeks where they don't need to deploy missiles.

Military planners call the mission "dynamic" - it means that the plans will change according to what's happening on the ground.

The professionalism of everyone who works to support these missions means they want to respond to the orders efficiently and carry out their job as precisely as possible.

Every time they leave this base the ground crews will wave them off, every time they return they'll be relieved to welcome them back.

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Iraq: British Jets On First Combat Mission

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

British jets armed with missiles are over northern Iraq on their maiden combat mission after taking off from a base in Cyprus.

Two Tornado GR4 fighter jets - armed with missiles for the first time - took off from RAF Akrotiri at 8.30am this morning.

They are being supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft also based on the island.

The Tornados are carrying Brimstone and Paveway missiles on board and are authorised to fire them if they encounter Islamic State (IS) militants.

Precise details of the mission are still unknown, but they will be flying over Iraq according to the tasking given to them by US Central Command.

It is thought to be a dynamic close air support mission, hitting targets if and when they reveal themselves.

A member of the aircrew prepares to depart on the first mission. Pic: MOD

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that following Parliamentary approval given yesterday, Royal Air Force Tornados continue to fly over Iraq and are now ready to be used in an attack role as and when appropriate targets are identified.

"For operational security reasons we will not be providing a running commentary on movements; we will provide an update on activity when it is appropriate to do so."

It comes after MPs overwhelmingly backed action in a vote in the House of Commons on Friday.

The Tornados are being supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft

Parliament gave approval by 524 votes to 43 (a majority of 481) for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain is ready to play its part in dealing with IS.

He said: "We are one part of a large international coalition. But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces.

"We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News Britain would select targets "in accordance with the American and international effort that's going on in Iraq.

"There's fighting around these towns - we have to fit in to the day-to-day fighting and see where we can help best," he said.

The planes have been at RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks carrying out surveillance missions over the Middle East.

An RAF pilot at the base on Saturday morning

The US has been carrying out airstrikes in northern Iraq since August and France joined the mission last week.

Overnight, the US continued to hit suspected IS positions in Syria for a fifth consecutive day of attacks.

The Pentagon said the raids had disrupted lucrative oil-pumping operations that have helped fund IS militants, but that a final victory would need an on-the-ground campaign.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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DLT Sentenced For Groping TV Personality

Disgraced DJ Dave Lee Travis has left court after being given a three-month suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a TV personality.

Speaking to reporters outside, the former Radio 1 star said he was "mortified" and "really disappointed" over his conviction this week and criticised his prosecution.

He said the judge accepted that prosecutors had failed to prove their case that he was a "sexual predator".

Travis said: "I was worried if the prosecution threw enough mud at me, some of it might stick", adding it was "of little comfort that I was acquitted of so many others (alleged offences)".

He said of those people closest to him: "We all know the truth and I'm grateful for that."

Travis, who became a household name in the 1970s, was found guilty on Tuesday of indecently assaulting a woman in 1995.

He was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years.

Travis pictured with his wife Marianne

The incident took place behind the scenes at The Mrs Merton Show, a programme which the victim had been working on as a researcher.

The DJ had squeezed her breasts for 10-15 seconds after cornering her in a corridor of a BBC studio.

The victim had been smoking in the corridor when he commented on her "poor little lungs" before groping her.

Sentencing the 69-year-old man at London's Southwark Crown Court, Judge Leonard said: "It was an intentional and unpleasant sexual assault.

"You took advantage of a young woman in a vulnerable position whose job it was to look after you that day."

In the dock, Travis briefly looked down and then said: "Thank you, your honour".

Marianne, his wife of more than 40 years, hugged a friend in the public gallery after the judge delivered his sentence.

In a statement read out ahead of his sentencing, the victim said: "I was subjected to an unprovoked and terrifying physical assault at my place of work.

The DJ became a household name in the 1970s

"I was too paralysed with fear to confront my assailant."

Before sentencing, another woman, journalist Camilla Long, said Travis had "bashed" on the dock glass and "screamed" at her to move from the public gallery to the press seats as she was making him "uncomfortable".

Ms Long, who in 2012 wrote an article in which she claimed he groped her during an interview, told Sky News the incident in court on Friday was "incredibly intimidating".

This week, Travis was found not guilty on a second indecent assault charge and the jury was discharged after it was unable to agree a verdict on a count of sexual assault.

He faced a retrial after jurors failed to reach verdicts on those two charges earlier this year.

He was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault at his original trial in February.

The broadcaster, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was first arrested in October 2012 under Operation Yewtree, Scotland Yard's investigation into historic sexual abuse in the wake of allegations against the late DJ Jimmy Savile.

Judge Leonard said Travis' offence was of a "different order of magnitude" to other more serious convictions under Operation Yewtree.

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Missing Alice: 150 Calls After Reconstruction

A reconstruction of Alice Gross' last-known steps before her disappearance has led to 150 calls with information, police say.

The fresh leads come after an "area of interest" in a west London park brought no clues to the whereabouts of the missing 14-year-old.

Parts of Elthorne Park near her home in Hanwell had been cordoned off overnight by investigators who were scouring through disturbed earth which runs beside the canal towpath where Alice was last seen.

Part of Elthorne Park in west London was searched

"A full assessment has now been carried out, which has determined this area is not of relevance to the investigation into Alice's disappearance," a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

A white tent had been erected at the scene, and officers in diving gear had been searching a boggy area next to the river.

On Thursday, police staged a reconstruction which showed the high school student "power walking" on a towpath alongside the Grand Union Canal.

CCTV cameras overlooking the path captured her movements at 4.26pm on 28 August. She has not been seen since.

A reconstruction on Thursday brought scores of responses

Arnis Zalkalns, a convicted murder who is being treated as the prime suspect, cycled along the same towpath 15 minutes later.

Alice's mother, Rosalind Hodgkiss, has said: "Every morning, as Alice's disappearance grows longer and longer, brings new agony, new anguish."

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Dreamliner Makes Emergency Landing In Glasgow

A Dreamliner operated by Polish airline LOT has made an emergency landing in Glasgow after an alert from the fire protection system in the baggage hold.

The Boeing 787 was flying from Chicago to Warsaw with 248 people on board when the captain requested the emergency landing.

LOT spokeswoman Barbara Pijanowsk-Kuras said the emergency landing was required according to safety procedures after the crew received a warning from the firefighting system.

News reports said the pilot had reported a smell of smoke in the cabin.

The plane, which landed safely at 11.35am, was met by airport emergency services and checked by firefighters. It was deemed safe before it taxied to a stand.

The passengers have since disembarked, while the aircraft is "under technical review", a statement by the airline said. 

The airport remains open, and LOT said it was considering using another aircraft to bring the passengers to Warsaw.

The plane was carrying 248 people. Pic: @AndrewWork

The 787 has been plagued by problems.

Last year, the model was grounded around the world for three months while the battery systems were checked after a few of the aircraft developed problems that led to the appearance of smoke.

The battery appeared to overheat, reaching temperatures capable of melting rock.

Boeing redesigned the battery, charger and containment system to ensure battery fires would not put the aircraft at risk. Since then, the aircraft have experienced a series of minor glitches, including a fault with an air pressure sensor and the brake system.

Boeing insists the Dreamliner is operating safely.

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Iraq Airstrikes: MPs Start Debating IS Raids

Islamic State are "psycopathic terrorists trying to kill us", said David Cameron as he argued the case for airstrikes in Iraq.

The Prime Minister, seeking to rally support among MPs at Westminster for bombing raids against the Islamist extremists, said the terror group, also known as ISIL, had "already declared war on us".

He told the Commons debate Islamic State "have already murdered one British hostage and is threatening the lives of two more".

Mr Cameron described IS as "a terrorist organisation unlike those we have dealt with before".

The US has already been carrying out raids against IS in Iraq and Syria

He said: "The brutality is staggering - beheadings, crucifixions, the gouging out of eyes, the use of rape as a weapon, the slaughter of children. All of these things belong to the dark ages.

"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 and bordering a NATO member with a declared and a proven determination to attack our country and our people."

The PM said the shadow of the 2003 decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq "hangs heavy" over the vote, but told MPs: "We must not use past mistakes as an excuse for indifference or inaction."

IS militants have been branded 'psycopathic terrorists' by the PM

Labour leader Ed Miliband said he understood the deep unease felt about taking action, but said the UK could not stand by in the face of the threat from IS.

"ISIL is not simply a murderous organisation; it has ambitions for a state of its own - a caliphate across the Middle East, run according to their horrific norms and values," he said.

But in a typically firebrand intervention, the outspoken Respect MP George Galloway argued bombing would not work, and stressed the need to strengthen ground forces in the region.

He said: "ISIL is a death cult, it's a gang of terrorist murderers. It's not an army and it's certainly not an army that's going to be destroyed by aerial bombardment."

Former Tory defence secretary Liam Fox argued the plan for airstrikes did not go far enough by not including Syria, while the ex-Labour cabinet minister Hazel Blears described the government proposal for action as "minimalist".

The Cabinet unanimously backed military action against IS on Thursday, and the Government is expected to secure the backing of most MPs for airstrikes in Iraq, which senior ministers have warned could last up to three years.

The widow of UK aid worker David Haines, who was beheaded on film by his captors, has also backed targeted British airstrikes.

Operations could begin within hours of a vote in the Commons, which is due at around 5pm.

Desperate to avoid a repeat of the Commons defeat over airstrikes against Syria last year, the PM tabled a cautiously-worded motion intended to win support from all parties for action in Iraq.

Mr Cameron went into the debate with an opinion poll suggesting voters strongly back airstrikes in Iraq, but would also support attacks against Syria.

Meanwhile, Denmark announced it was sending seven F-16 planes to join the coalition fight against IS in Iraq.

Shortly before the debate, the Home Secretary Theresa May announced the under-fire Passport Office was to be brought into the Home Office and made directly accountable to ministers - a move that led to accusations of the department seeking to "bury bad news".

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Alice: Parents' Anguish Over Missing Daughter

The parents of missing schoolgirl Alice Gross have told Sky News of their anguish as they made a plea for her safe return.

The appeal came as police stage a reconstruction of her final movements, four weeks after she disappeared.

Alice, 14, was seen on CCTV on August 28 walking alongside the Grand Union Canal in west London back towards her home in Hanwell and has not been seen since.

Police have staged a reconstruction to try and jog people's memory

Her parents, Rosalind Hodgkiss and Jose Gross, have urged people to help find their daughter.

Ms Hodgkiss, who is a teacher, said: "The longer Alice has been missing the more worried and concerned that we feel and obviously the greater the anguish that we feel.

"We are looking forward to being back as a family again.

"The house feels very empty without her."

She added: "Alice is a very lively, funny girl. She's quirky.

"We are really looking forward to the sound of her voice, seeing her smile, just her presence."

Mr Gross, 60, said of his daughter, a keen musician: "Her singing was a really big part of the sounds in our house."

It is the biggest search by the Met since the 7/7 bomb attacks in London

Alice had suffered from anorexia, but Mr Gross said: "There's nothing specific we can think of that would have made her want to run away."

Her father also highlighted the "extraordinary" level of support they had received from the public, which had been "uplifting".

Yellow ribbons are in evidence all over the area of west London where the family live, along with posters highlighting the teenager's disappearance.

He said: "It's makes a really massive difference to us both in the sense of feeling supported but also that the word is getting out there, making people more aware."

Alice had suffered from anorexia, but her father said: "There's nothing specific we can think of that would have made her want to run away."

Scotland Yard hope the reconstruction of Alice's last known movements, which began with her leaving her home at 1pm before walking along Brentford Lock, will help jog people's memory of the afternoon of August 28.

Alice's parents' say the house feels empty without her

The lead investigating officer Detective Superintendent Carl Mehta told Sky News police were anxious to know what happened to Alice after 4.26pm that day.

He said people may remember her distinctive 'power' walk - very fast with swinging arms.

Police also wanted to trace Alice's iPhone, which had a cracked cover and "scribbling" on the back of it, as well as information about the teenager's rucksack found on September 2.

Around 600 officers from eight forces are involved in the investigation, making it the biggest search undertaken by the Metropolitan Police since the 7/7 transport bomb attacks in London in 2005.

Prime suspect, 41-year-old builder Arnis Zalkalns - a convicted murderer who served seven years in a Latvian jail for killing his wife - was spotted on CCTV cycling along the same path as Alice on the day she vanished.

He has not been seen since September 3 and has not accessed his bank account or used his mobile phone.

Officers have been sent to his native Latvia in an effort to trace him.

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads detectives to find Alice.

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Anjem Choudary: Preacher Held In Terror Arrests

Nine men have been arrested in London on suspicion of being members of a terrorist organisation and encouraging terrorism.

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary, 47, was reportedly among those held by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) on Thursday.

The men, aged between 22 and 51, have been taken to police stations in central London and remain in custody on suspicion of being members of a proscribed organisation or supporting a proscribed organisation.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad

The organisation is believed to be Al Muhajiroun, the Press Association reported. The group was set up by Choudary and Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, who was told he could not return to the UK after the 7/7 bombings. Al Muhajiroun was banned in 2010.

A number of residential, business or community properties - 11 in east London, one in west London, one in northwest London, five in south London and one in Stoke-on-Trent - are also being searched as part of the investigation.

A statement from the Met Police said: "These arrests and searches are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk."

This week, Choudary was reported to have said he had no sympathy for aid worker Alan Henning, who has been captured by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.

He reportedly said: "In the Koran it is not allowed for you to feel sorry for non Muslims. I don't feel sorry for him."

Choudary reportedly said he had no sympathy for hostage Alan Henning

Last month, the Government raised Britain's terror threat level from substantial to severe because of the threat from militant groups in the Middle East.

A severe threat means an attack is deemed to be "highly likely", but there is no intelligence to suggest one is imminent.

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