PRIME Minister Cameron yesterday revealed that he is preparing to send British troops into Iraq again.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, he warned that Islamic State (IS) fighters already control thousands of square miles of territory.
Cameron claimed that if IS extremists are not dealt with now, they will create a ‘terrorist state’ on the shores of the Mediterranean.
In echoes of Blair’s false claims to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Cameron went on to say that Britain will have to use its ‘military prowess’ to help defeat ‘this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement’, or it will target people in the UK.
He made no mention of recalling parliament.
In his article, Cameron said the UK and the West need a firm security response to the crisis in Iraq and that fighters from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) ‘cannot simply be removed by air strikes alone’.
He added that ‘we need a firm security response, whether it is military action to go after the terrorists, international co-operation on intelligence and counter-terrorism or uncompromising action against terrorists at home’.
Cameron stressed: ‘True security will only be achieved if we use all our resources – aid, diplomacy, our military prowess – in helping to achieve a more stable world.
‘In today’s world, so immediately interconnected as it is, we cannot turn a blind eye and assume that there will not be a cost for us if we do.’
He added: ‘This is a clear danger to Europe and to our security. It is a daunting challenge.’
In a bid to deflect opposition to the deployment of British troops, Cameron claimed this is not the ‘War on Terror’ or ‘a religious war,’ but about ‘tolerance’ and Britain’s future prosperity.
He said: ‘I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy, but we need to recognise that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan for our security as well as one for our economy.’
Cameron said that he has also discussed the issue with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hogan-Howe.
Cameron warned: ‘If people are walking around with ISIL flags or trying to recruit people to their terrorist cause they will be arrested and their materials will be seized.’
His comments come in the wake of confirmation by the Ministry of Defence that last week UK intelligence-gathering Rivet Joint aircraft had carried out several flights over areas in the north of Iraq which have been targeted by advancing IS forces.
