The UK could conduct air strikes in Syria against Islamic State militants without President Assad's approval said the British Prime Minister David Cameron stating that the Assad regime was not a legitimate government as it had committed war crimes.
Asked about the legality of air strikes over Iraq and Syria under international law, Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday:
Meanwhile he stressed that British air strikes over Iraq would only take place at the request of the Iraqi government.
The Prime Minister's comments come as Islamic State militants threatened to execute a British aid worker, David Haines, in a video released earlier this week capturing the beheading of a second US journalist.
Addressing fellow NATO leaders on Thursday evening, Cameron urged them to desist ransom payments to IS, arguing it was "utterly self-defeating".
"It is worse than self-defeating, it is actually a risk to us back at home," he added.
"All those people who signed these declarations know that what matters is not your signature on a declaration but not letting money be paid to terrorist kidnappers, because that money goes into arms, it goes into weapons, it goes into terror plots, it goes into more kidnaps."
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Asked about the legality of air strikes over Iraq and Syria under international law, Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday:
“I don’t think it’s that complicated because obviously the Iraqi government is a legitimate government... whereas President Assad has committed war crimes on his own people and is therefore illegitimate."“My view is that President Assad is part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. We have got to understand that Assad has been part of the creation of IS, rather than part of its answer," he added.
Meanwhile he stressed that British air strikes over Iraq would only take place at the request of the Iraqi government.
The Prime Minister's comments come as Islamic State militants threatened to execute a British aid worker, David Haines, in a video released earlier this week capturing the beheading of a second US journalist.
Addressing fellow NATO leaders on Thursday evening, Cameron urged them to desist ransom payments to IS, arguing it was "utterly self-defeating".
"It is worse than self-defeating, it is actually a risk to us back at home," he added.
"All those people who signed these declarations know that what matters is not your signature on a declaration but not letting money be paid to terrorist kidnappers, because that money goes into arms, it goes into weapons, it goes into terror plots, it goes into more kidnaps."
See related articles:
'We will not be cowed' - Cameron and Obama (04 Sep 2014)
UK funds investigation to establish war crimes case against Islamic State (04 Sep 2014)
US vows justice for journalist beheading, UK holds Cobra meeting (03 Sep 2014)
IS beheads second US journalist, UN to send investigative mission (02 Sep 2014)