LONDON
Britain's prime minister has said that he does not believe the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant can be defeated from the air alone, “troops on the ground” are needed.
Speaking with Andrew Marr on the BBC on Sunday, David Cameron underlined that they should be Iraqi and Kurdish troops.
“We are part of a large international coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy this organisation, but it can’t be done unless the countries where this organisation has grown up play their part to destroying it,” he told the BBC.
The U.K. has been supplying arms to Iraqi Kurds and also conducts aerial surveillance operations. On Friday, British lawmakers voted in a motion for the country to join in the U.S.-led coalition's air strikes in Iraq against ISIL.
Questioned if another such motion would be required for "military action" against the ISIL in Syria he said, if "a humanitarian disaster was about to happen" and there was not time for such a vote then it would be right "that Britain, either with partners or alone" would "do something to avert" that disaster.
“Likewise if there’s some unique British interest, some hostage situation, some unique British interest where you had to order the action very quickly, I would always be prepared to do that first and explain to the house of commons afterwards,” he added.
Cameron highlighted that the coalition's strategy was not based simply on bombing ISIL targets, Britain wanted Sunni tribes to rise up and reject ISIL, as well as being part of a democratic Iraq.
“Our strategy here is not some simplistic drop a bomb from 40,000 feet, think you can solve a problem... This is one part of a comprehensive strategy to build an Iraq that has a democratic inclusive government for everyone, and in time Syria needs the same thing,” he said.
There are already British personnel in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and Kurdish areas “advising” on the situation, he added.
Cameron reiterated that Britain would not be working with Bashar al-Assad’s regime, calling him part of the problem not the solution, and stated that the United Kingdom would continue to support the Free Syria Army and the opposition.
ISIL has captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, declaring what it calls a cross-border Islamic "caliphate," killing thousands and displacing millions in the two countries.
It has posted graphic online videos of mass executions, as well as the beheadings of Western hostages.
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