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Britain May Launch ISIS Strikes "Within Days"; Germany To Join With Warship, Planes, Troops
On Saturday, in "'The Redcoats Are Coming!' Britain Moves Closer To Launching Anti-ISIS Airstrikes,” we warned that the skies above Syria were about to get even more crowded as David Cameron pushed British lawmakers to approve RAF strikes on Raqqa.
"It is wrong for the United Kingdom to expect the aircrews of other nations to carry the burdens and the risks of striking ISIL in Syria to stop terrorism here in Britain," Cameron said.
"I don't think this is a country that lets others like the French or the Americans defend our interests and protect us from terrorist organizations - we should contribute to that effort,” Finance minister George Osborne added, underscoring the perception that Britain’s military prowess is but a shadow of what it once was.
We also noted that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would not use a party whip to influence MP’s decisions. Over the weekend, Corbyn expressed serious reservations about the number of “moderate” rebels on the ground in Syria and also suggested that to the extent there are enough fighters to occupy the territory held by Islamic State once the group is routed, the UK shouldn’t assume that the fighters can be trusted. “I seriously question the number, I seriously question the motives and loyalty of those forces,” Corbyn said.
On Monday, Corbyn apparently attempted to compel party members to vote against military action in line with his own stance on the issue but after what FT described as a “fraught meeting”, the Labour leader bowed to internal pressure and conceded that MPs would be allowed to vote as they choose. Additionally, Corbyn abandoned the idea of setting an official policy of opposing air strikes no matter how party members voted after Andy Burnham, shadow home secretary, said that was “unacceptable”. Here's where Corbyn's shadow cabinet stands:
Against airstrikes
- Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour party
- John McDonnell, shadow chancellor
- Jon Trickett, shadow communities secretary
- Diane Abbott, shadow international development secretary
- Ian Murray, shadow Scotland secretary
- John Cryer, chairman of the parliamentary Labour party
- Nia Griffith, shadow wales secretary
For airstrikes
- Tom Watson, deputy leader (who has asked Cameron to delay the vote pending proof that there are actually 70,000 moderate rebels on the ground)
- Angela Eagle, shadow first secretary of state and shadow business secretary
- Hilary Benn, shadow foreign secretary
- Heidi Alexander, shadow health secretary
- Lucy Powell, shadow education secretary
- Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the house of commons
- Vernon Coaker, shadow northern Ireland secretary
- Michael Dugher, shadow culture secretary
With that, the stage is set for Britain to join the fray. As FT goes on to note, Corbyn’s concession to his divided party “effectively guarantees that [David Cameron] can secure a Commons majority for war.” British military action could start “within days” as the PM “reacted quickly to Corbyn’s capitulation, announcing after he returned from the Paris climate summit that he would recommend to the cabinet on Tuesday that a one-day debate and vote on military intervention in Syria be held on Wednesday.”
With the vote thus set, "RAF crews could be bombing the Isis headquarters in Raqqa by the end of the week," The Guardian says. On Tuesday, Cameron said “the decision to take military action is one of the most serious a prime minister can make. Isis poses a very direct threat to the United Kingdom – and as we have already seen in Iraq, British airstrikes can play a key role in degrading them; but they are only part of a comprehensive strategy for Syria.
But that's not all. Germany is now set to enter the fight as well. "German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet approved deploying warplanes over Syria in the fight against Islamic State," Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Apparently, Berlin is set to send Tornado surveillance planes, a frigate to protect France’s carrier, and aerial refueling for French fighter jets.
Parliament will need to approve the deployment and a vote is expected within days. All told, around 1,200 German troops are expected to participate. This should do wonders when it comes to stemming the flow of refugees into Germany because as France explained earlier this year, by far the best way to solve a refugee crisis is to drop more bombs on the place from which the refugees are fleeing.
And with that, two more world powers will now have planes in the sky and ships in the Mediterranean. Just to be clear, this means that by the end of next week, it's possible that American, French, Turkish, Russian, and German planes will all be flying missions above Syria, a decisively dangerous scenario now that Ankara has forced Moscow into a state of paranoia regarding the safety of The Kremlin's aircraft. With Russian S-400s at the ready, and with Su-34s now armed with air-to-air missiles, the potential exists for another "accident."
Additionally, it's worth reiterating that the West and the Russians still haven't resolved the most pressing issue when it comes to airstrikes in Syria. Namely that Moscow and Iran are still attacking the FSA and other rebel groups that are receiving guns and money on a weekly basis from the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. This means that while the West bombards Raqqa (or perhaps the better way to put is "while the West thinks they're bombarding Raqqa based on the 'intelligence' they receive from Washington"), America and its regional allies are engaged in a proxy war with Moscow and Tehran in the northwest part of the country. This makes absolutely no sense and it isn't at all compatible with David Cameron telling British lawmakers that the "moderate" opposition is in a position to hold territory formerly governed by ISIS. Not only are the rebels not in a position to secure towns and cities, they are being routed at Aleppo by the Russians and Iranians. At some point this has to be addressed but for the time being, everyone seems content with being invited to the party.
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ISIS air force Coalition taking final shape
I wonder how many more stabs in the back from these europuta$ Are coming. THE WH0Re is horny again!!!
Lets try and do a head count for Syria.
We've got military aircraft from Russia, the USA and France. and very soon the UK and Germany. And dont forget Turkish jets that are circling the border.
We've ground forces from Russia, Iran,, Syria and Hezbollah..
We've got Special Forces from Russia, Iran, USA, and probably France, Turkey, and the UK. No doubt there will be visits from Israel, Germany and other NATO countries.
We've got ISIS oil flowing through Syria, probably Turkey, and also to the Kurds. This oil is reaching Israel, Japan, and probably half of the G-20 countries.
We've got Islamic jihadists fighting for Al Qaeda and ISIS. There is big money and arms flowing to these jihadists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Gulf States.
Quite the situation ... in one small country.
This is a complete War Of The United Nations.
And everybody seems to have an ulterior motive for why they are really involved.
Only one of the recent French terrorists was an alleged Syrian refugee. No evidence that he was ISIS. Yet look at what is being unleashed on ISIS, apparently as an excuse to control terrorism. It doesn't make sense. No one will solve their problems directly. They do so by creating and attacking a bogeyman. I think there is also anger at ISIS for allegedly creating the current refugee problem in Europe that no one will deal with directly, like creating a safe zone in Iraq or east Syria.
ISIS stands to topple the corrupt Saudi regime, both directly and indirectly. Maybe that is what everyone is afraid of.
It's like watching a God Damned high school clique in action on a world stage.
It's a scary thought that human behavior is consistent up the entire pyramid of human existence, once you realize that everything makes sense.
These people are just your annoying relatives at your dysfunctional holiday gathering except they have newks. It's only a matter of time until Uncle Joe starts working on Grandma for more money and family power and it's going to take all you have and some stiff drinks to keep from punching him in the face.
It'd be laugh out loud funny if it weren't so damned tragic.
funny all this is pointless. the whole 'war' is a bet to get a pipeline from qatar/saudi arabia to europe as oil rev is way down....but is we stop QE'ing money to the eu, how are they going to pay the bills. this all stops when the liquidity stops. i'll say it a thousand times. this is all just a circle jerk til the end of the world.
One of these days they are gonna roll snakeyes and then the fun starts.
It may be that ISIS was the original "rationale" or excuse for these countries to be involved in Syria. But they all see Syria as some kind of 'fulcrum' to exert their national interests. And those interests go far beyond ISIS.
This war is expanding in scope. It is not possible to have so many players on such a small piece of ground - without serious blood being spilled. The downing of the Russian jet was only the beginning. The players all believe this is a Poker Game that they must win.
They are all just following a script.
When you play poker you can lose this isn't poker it's theatre and the loser is pre-ordained it's pretty much any non evil peaceful fuck on planet earth.
"RAF crews could be bombing the Isis headquarters in Raqqa by the end of the week,"
Surprising the Russkies and Yanks haven't taken that kinda frikkin obvious target out? But hey-ho, go for it dish-face.
Would be great to have our dear leaders provide some public evidence behind their gob-shite rhetoric, but I guess thats never going to happen, so another pointless war begins. Sad to see it happening in real time with all those who should be responsible for stopping war and promoting peace and prosperity, all clamouring for it rather than discussing which road is going to be re-surfaced next!
Cheers!
Uh oh... is there any possible way all the rest of the hospitals can be disguised somehow? Putin doesn't hit hospitals, he hits proper targets. The same can't be said for anybody working for the bankers.
That picture of Merkel.....it looks familiar.... makes me think of Superman and Clark Kent...
..has anyone seen Angela Merkel and Lindsey Graham together???
I don't remember Syria and Russia and Iran sending out invitations. Not sure what Russia is waiting for. Tell the west to leave or they will be considered enemy combatants in an illegal war against a sovereign.
I love how these Western countries think they can kill Arabs and their own Arab citizen won't mind. Keep digging that hole deeper
That's not how it works. The infrared heat waves bouncing back from the earth is what gets reflected back by the CO2. More so than the rays from the sun, thats why heat gets trapped.