Britain's Cameron Seeks Votes to Launch Airstrikes in Syria

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Monday to obtain the votes necessary for the House of Commons to approve an airstrike campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria.

Cameron told reporters that bombing Syria to remove President Bashar Assad was part of the solution of the current refugee crisis faced by Europe and that the Islamic State extremist also had to be confronted.

“We need to do the right thing and that means a comprehensive approach that says you've got to help refugees, you've got to help the political process in Syria to replace that appalling government and yes you do need to defeat ISIL (as ISIS or the Islamic State group was previously known),” he said. 

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He further defied the newly-elected Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who the prime minister recently classified as a security threat. Journalists asked if Corbyn's anti-war stance would make the vote more difficult.

“I think that will depend on parliament. It doesn't necessarily depend on the views of one person,” Cameron responded, referring to possible cracks amongst Labour opposition lawmakers.

Corbyn has actively rallied for Britain to take in refugees as part of the EU quota system – which Cameron rejected – and against any further military intervention.

 

Cameron again arguing for bombing of Syria in response to refugee crisis-I'm waiting to speak http://t.co/hSs8lG8zSD pic.twitter.com/8KfBQ5HXYc

— Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn) septiembre 7, 2015

The prime minister continues insisting that there should be no distinction between a humanitarian response to Syrian refugees and military action. 

The U.K. has been bombing Islamic State group targets in Iraq for the past year but they have not been able to extend attacks into neighboring Syria.

In August 2013, Cameron tried to reach consensus for an airstrike campaign in Syria. On that occasion he alleged the strikes were necessary to get rid of President Assad. He lost the vote 285-272 with which lawmakers ruled out joining the U.S.-led airstrikes. 

This time, the British prime minister is justifying the airstrikes to fight the Islamic State, but during the press conference he attacked the Assad government once again, blaming it for driving his people to the hands of the terrorist organization.

The vote is set to happen in the coming weeks.