Fallon urges MPs to consider strikes on Syria

Britain may consider expanding its air strikes against terrorist group Islamic State (IS) beyond Iraq to targets in Syria, as the Defence Secretary argues the current strategy is illogical.

Michael Fallon has urged MPs to consider air strikes on Syria and that they should carefully consider ways to combat an organisation that ignores international borders. Fallon argued that it was illogical to strike in Iraq and not Syria, when IS do not differentiate between the two and freely move between both countries.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s ‘World At One’, Fallon said: “We’ve always been clear that Isil [IS] has to be defeated in both Syria and Iraq. We have plenty to do in Iraq. Each member of the coalition is doing different things. Isil is organised and directed and administered from Syria. There is an illogicality about not being able to do it.”

He added: “It is a new Parliament and I think Members of Parliament will want to think very carefully about how we best deal with Isil and the illogicality of Isil not respecting the borderlines.

“They don’t differentiate between Syria and Iraq, they are establishing this evil caliphate across both countries.”

Rebel Tory MPs went against the Prime Minister and joined forces with Labour MPs to block proposed air strikes in Syria back in 2013. Last year, Parliament approved air strikes in Iraq, but MPs were not asked to authorise attacks on Syrian targets.

David Cameron is due to outline his response to the IS threat abroad and at home in the coming weeks. The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “The prime minister has been clear on the need for us to be crushing Isil in both Iraq and Syria in the sense of the role we are playing alongside others.

“Clearly Isil is seeking to find areas from which it can operate, from which it can seek to threaten people here in Britain. As part of what the PM was talking about, in terms of having a full-spectrum response, that means not just focusing on one area where they are but looking at a whole range of areas and how Isil are operating.”

Any prospective military intervention in Syria will be put before Parliament, except in the case of an ‘imminent threat’, when the Government would have the right to take action without parliamentary approval.