Camerons cunning plan for bombing Isis in Syria - FT.

com

1 of 4

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

November 26, 2015 1:36 pm

Camerons cunning plan for bombing Isis in

Syria
Robert Shrimsley

The questions over extending air raids answered in 43 key points

RAF Tornado strike aircraft

avid Cameron has announced his intention to seek parliamentary approval

for Britain to join the international forces bombing Isis strongholds in Syria.
Assuming the prime minister wins that vote, raids will start in the next few weeks.
He has wanted to do this for some time and feels the Paris attacks have turned
public opinion and parliamentary arithmetic in his favour.
UK intervention in Syria.

Here, then, are the key things you need to know about

1. British contributions to the air campaign against the Islamist militants will make absolutely
no difference at all.

29/11/2015 15:25

Camerons cunning plan for bombing Isis in Syria - FT.com

2 of 4

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

2. No, really, none.

3. You know all those bombs already being dropped on Isis? Well, now there will be a few more.
4. But not that many more.
5. And many of those that will be dropped on Isis in Syria would have been dropped on Isis in
Iraq instead.
6. What do you think we are made of bombs?
7. But even though it will make no difference, we are going to do this anyway because Britain is
not a country that stands on the sidelines.
8. It is important to stress that, before the decision to bomb Syria, there was absolutely no plan
on how to defeat Isis.
9. And there still isnt.
10. But something must be done.
11. And this is that something.
12. These people are really evil.
13. I mean super-evil. Horrible.
14. So we are all going to feel a lot better about ourselves because now we are going to be in
there socking it to them as well.
15. I cannot say this will beat them but I can say it will degrade them, which sounds like
something.
16. We are doing this to make Britain safer from the threat of Isis.
17. Even though we cannot offer a single reason whatsoever to believe it will achieve that goal.
18. Some will say that Britain may make itself more of a target for Isis terror attacks.
19. But we are a target already so whatever is going to happen was going to happen anyway and
doesnt it feel better to know weve landed a few punches in advance?
20. We do realise that air strikes alone cannot defeat Isis.
21. But thats all weve got at the moment.
22. We know that these attacks have to be part of a clear and coherent strategy for isolating and

29/11/2015 15:25

Camerons cunning plan for bombing Isis in Syria - FT.com

3 of 4

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

defeating Isis. But we do not have the luxury of waiting for one to emerge.
23. So any ideas on a postcard please.
24. Our military strategists make clear that there can be no ultimate victory over those foul
butchers in Isis without boots on the ground.
25. But none of those boots are going to be ours.
26. We think that stuff is best left to the military forces in Iraq and Syria that have been doing
such a bang-up job fighting Isis up till now.
27. We do recognise that ultimately only a negotiated political settlement can create the
conditions in which Isis can be permanently defeated.
28. Thats why we are negotiating with other countries to try to work out what that settlement
should be.
29. Were not quite there yet.
30. In the meantime, bombs away.
31. We are absolutely clear that the long-term political settlement for Syria does not include
Bashar al-Assad.
32. Which is a bit of a pity because Russia and Iran are clear that it does.
33. Syrias future must lie with the moderate anti-Assad opposition.
34. The ones that Russia has been bombing.
35. We are doing this because Britain is not a country that stands on the sidelines in the face of
evil.
36. We step up to the plate and play our part.
37. Like we did in Libya.
38. Which worked out well.
39. We recognise that there are people in this country with doubts about the wisdom of this
action.
40. But, since those doubts are going to be articulated by Labours Jeremy Corbyn, we are not
too worried about that.
41. We further recognise that stepping up bombing raids could increase the number of refugees

29/11/2015 15:25

Camerons cunning plan for bombing Isis in Syria - FT.com

4 of 4

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

fleeing Syria.
42. But theyre not coming here.
43. Because this regional problem requires a regional solution.
robert.shrimsley@ft.com
RELATED TOPICS

Printed from: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f.html

Print a single copy of this article for personal use. Contact us if you wish to print more to distribute to others.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2015 FT and Financial Times are trademarks of The Financial Times
Ltd.

29/11/2015 15:25