Within hours of MPs voting for air strikes over Syria, RAF jets have taken part in raids targeting an oil field under the control of so-called Islamic State (IS) militants.
RAF Tornados return to their base in Akrotiri, Cyprus
Four Tornados carrying Paveway guided bombs took part in the first raids. According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement, the jets attacked six targets with the support of a Voyager air refuelling tanker, an unmanned Reaper drone and aircraft from other countries in the coalition against IS.
The statement said: “carefully selected elements of the oilfield infrastructure were targeted, ensuring the strikes will have a significant impact on Daesh’s ability to extract the oil to fund their terrorism” and added that initial analysis of the raids “indicates that the strikes were successful”.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the target, the Omar oil field, was near to the Iraqi border, “a long way from Raqqa” (the de facto IS capital), adding “it’s a very good illustration of a target that is literally one side of the border and couldn’t be previously be attacked.”
Mr Fallon also announced that the size of the British strike force attacking Islamic State is to increase. Two more Tornados and six Typhoon fighters left their bases in the UK to head for Akrotiri.
Mb
Late on Wednesday Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was described by his Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn as a “man of principle not a terrorist sympathiser” – recalling the Prime Minister’s description of some of those opposing bombing Syria. Mr Corbyn had earlier explained his profound disagreement with air strikes.
However, with Mr Corbyn sitting stony-faced behind him, Mr Benn then went on to deliver an impassioned speech in favour of bombing Syria that was so rousing it was met, after some ten hours of debate, with loud applause from both sides of the House of Commons.
Mr Benn told fellow MPs that he believed there was a “moral and practical case for extending air strikes”.
Describing IS as “fascists” who held western democracies in contempt, he said “what we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated.”
“The carnage in Paris brought home the danger we face from them. It could just as easily have been London or Leeds or Birmingham, and it could still be,” he said.
Closing his speech, he said: “We must now confront this evil.”
The sixty-six Labour MPs who voted for air strikes over Syria were described on Thursday as “warmongers”, by a hard-left group called Left Unity which added in a Tweet “deselect them now”.
A number of Labour MPs have complained of the bullying tactics towards those planning to support air strikes.
Again here is the list of the 66 Labour MPs who voted to bomb Syria. pic.twitter.com/23Ko7lbWRb
– Left Unity (@LeftUnityUK) December 3, 2015
A number of Labour MPs have complained of the bullying tactics towards those planning to support air strikes.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who voted against air strikes, insisted on Thursday that complaints against Labour members using “unacceptable” tactics against those of different views would be investigated: “It is unacceptable. Jeremy Corbyn has made that position very, very clear. If they are Labour Party members, we have disciplinary processes and they will take place.”
Mr McDonnell also backed Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has faced calls for deselection for backing air strikes, saying “she is an excellent MP and she has my support.”
However he dismissed suggestions that the party was hopelessly split after the debate, saying it had “made me proud that in the Labour Party we allow people to vote with their consciences.”
Not just for social media: for any party members found bullying MPs & staff at their offices & homes too https://t.co/MdqcXrvRj6
— Liz Kendall (@leicesterliz) December 2, 2015
On Thursday Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who voted against air strikes, insisted that complaints against Labour members using “unacceptable” tactics against those of different views would be investigated: “It is unacceptable. Jeremy Corbyn has made that position very, very clear. If they are Labour Party members, we have disciplinary processes and they will take place.”
Mr McDonnell also backed Stella Creasy saying “she is an excellent MP and she has my support.”
However he dismissed suggestions that the party was hopelessly split after the debate, saying it had “made me proud that in the Labour Party we allow people to vote with their consciences.”