UK air strikes on IS in Syria

Summary

UK launches first air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria
Cyprus-based RAF Tornado jets target oil fields in eastern Syria
Prime Minister David Cameron warns campaign 'is going to take time'
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had said case for war 'does not stack up'
MPs voted in favour of military action in Syria by 397 to 223

Live Reporting

Stephen Robb, Alison Daye and Emma Harrison

Air strikes take UK campaign against IS into Syriapublished at 17:51
That concludes our coverage here for the time being, following the first air strikes by UK forces in Syria.
Our news story will continued to be updated here.
For more on the story, you can visit:
Image source, Getty Images
Ben Bradshaw: MPs 'feeling intimidated' because of online abusepublished at 17:50
Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, is one of the MPs who says he was subjected to online abuse. He voted in favour of military action.
He told the BBC:
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What does worry me is, particularly the new MPs, I think, are feeling intimidated and I think some may have changed their vote last night as a result.
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And that’s a great shame because particularly in a free vote it is very important that MPs can do what they think is in the best interests of the country and the nation without being intimidated and threatened in this way."
Corbyn facing 'deep divisions' in partypublished at 17:36
The BBC’s Norman Smith says Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing “deep and significant divisions” within his party in the wake of the Syria vote.
Our assistant political editor said:
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At the very top of the party you saw Hilary Benn and Jeremy Corbyn miles apart, and there was Hilary Benn - his speech widely applauded - behind him sat Mr Corbyn with his arms folded, looking down, refusing to clap. It was just a very public sign of the tensions rippling through the Labour Party.
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What makes this all the more difficult I think is the way it has become so personal, so vindictive and almost vengeful with abuse seemingly being metered out to those Labour MPs that backed air strikes… political divisions are one thing but when it becomes personal it becomes that much harder to try and bind the party together again.
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It does have echoes of the sort of divisions and deeply damaging civil war that engulfed the Labour Party in the 1980s.
Image source, PA
Pictures: Protest in Germany over possible Syria actionpublished at 17:07
On Friday German MPs are expected to vote in favour of military action against Islamic State militants in Syria.
Here are some pictures of protesters demonstrating against such action at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Thursday evening.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, AFP/Getty Images
A recap of reaction from Syriapublished at 16:52
Here is a summary of some of the reaction we have seen from Syria:
- Syrian state media have reacted angrily to the decision by UK MPs to attack so-called Islamic State targets in their country
- A number of Syrians have been giving their reaction to the British decision, including Sharif Shehadeh, Syrian MP and supporter of President Assad. He said: "If the goal is to destroy Daesh [Islamic State], they have left it too late"
- Hassan Hassan, Syrian analyst with Chatham House think tank, says he supports British involvement in Syria as it will "open up the opportunity to do more"
- Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, a group of anti-IS activists which is often the main source of information about life in the city, says the air strikes "will not defeat IS, but it will make people suffer more"
UK's letter on air strikes to UNpublished at 16:46
Matthew Rycroft, Britain's permanent representative to the United Nations, has written to the UN Security Council President Samantha Power with official notification of the UK's decision to join air strikes in Syria.
He wrote: "I am writing to report to the Security Council that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is taking necessary and proportionate measures against ISIL/Daesh in Syria, as called for in resolution 2249, in exercise of the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence."
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Watch: Benn and Benn on war (both watched by Jeremy Corbyn)published at 16:13
Tony Benn's speech opposing bombing in Iraq in 1998, and his son Hilary Benn's speech last night
Media caption,
Watch: Tony Benn vs his son Hilary Benn on war
Campaign group Momentum responds to online abuse claimspublished at 16:06
Momentum, the organisation set up by Jeremy Corbyn supporters in the wake of his successful leadership campaign earlier this year, has issued a statement in response to claims from some MPs of online abuse.
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Momentum strongly disapproves of anyone who engages in abusive behaviour towards MPs or anyone else, and threatening or bullying, whether they are outside the Labour Party (as most are) or inside it.
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We specifically asked our supporters to emulate Jeremy Corbyn, and to keep their messages about the issues and to refrain from any personal attacks.
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Momentum is not a threat to MPs who voted for bombing. We have made clear that we will not campaign for the deselection of any MP and will not permit any local Momentum groups to do so.
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The selection of candidates is entirely a matter for local party members and rightly so.
Send us your commentspublished at 16:03 Greenwich Mean Time 3 December 2015
Email:haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Jo Shockley emails: Horrible though war is, we need to stop the killings now and help Syria through the political process towards building a sustainable future that respects human life and dignity. It is not an easy choice and may need more direct military involvement than air strikes, as well as skilled political intervention, because all efforts so far have failed to halt terrorism. It needs to stop before more Syrians and others flee their homeland.
Owain Blackwell emails: It deeply saddens me that Parliament voted as it did last night. I fully endorse the use of military force where it is genuinely necessary for our safety. However I believe that this current action in Syria will be equally ineffectual. Indeed, if anything, such intervention will only serve to make domestic terror all the more likely.
Watch: How should the BBC refer to the militants?published at 15:55
The Daily Politics
During Wednesday's debate on air strikes to target the so-called Islamic State in Syria, Prime Minister David Cameron said ministers would refer only to Daesh when talking about the militants.
Conservative MP Rehman Chishti argues Daesh is the best term, and on Thursday's Daily Politics criticised the BBC for referring to Islamic State.
But senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, Shashank Joshi, argued that the terms meant the same thing.
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Conservative MP argues Daesh is the best term for militants in Syria and Iraq
Summary of key eventspublished at 15:47
Here is a summary of the latest key events:
- David Cameron has warned of a long campaign in Syria, saying that the mission against Islamic State militants could take "some time"
- The MoD has released more information about the first strikes, external, saying its fighter bombers hit six targets within the extensive oilfield at Omar, 35 miles inside Syria’s eastern border with Iraq
- Six Typhoon jet fighters have arrived in Cyprus after leaving RAF Lossiemouth in Moray to join the UK air strikes
- First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has told the Scottish Parliament she is deeply troubled by UK MPs' decision to approve military action in Syria
Image source, Reuters
Watch: Chair of Foreign Affairs Select Committee discusses next steps in Syriapublished at 15:34
Crispin Blunt, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, suggests what needs to happen in Syria to combat the Islamic State extremists - "many of whom are determined to fight to the death".
The Daily Politics
Media caption,
Chair of Foreign Affairs Select Committee on plans for Syria
Brimstone missiles: the statisticspublished at 15:29
Typhoon jets: more detailpublished at 15:27
Tornado jets: more detailpublished at 15:26
Watch: Should Labour MPs who backed strikes be deselected?published at 15:14
The Daily Politics
After claims of abuse of Labour Party MPs connected to the vote on air strikes, John Mann MP, the Socialist Party's Nancy Taaffe and a Momentum activist discuss deselection threats and claims of bullying.
Media caption,
John Mann says MPs have been victims of bullying
Syrian News Agency criticises UKpublished at 15:12
The Syrian News Agency (SANA) has criticised the UK's Ministry of Defence for not giving details about the outcome of the air strikes launched overnight on IS sites in Syria.
It added that the UK was joining the coalition led by Washington, which is “targeting illegally and against international law 'Daesh' sites in Syria for more than a year, however, the terrorist organisation is growing”.
It quoted a French expert as saying that the British military action would be “symbolic” and would not make a difference.
Image source, SANA
Watch: RAF Typhoon jets arrive in Cypruspublished at 15:04
Four Typhoons, from RAF Lossiemouth, land in Cyprus at RAF Akrotiri
Media caption,
Four RAF Typhoons, from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, land in Cyprus at RAF Akrotiri
There will need to be 'sandals on the ground'published at 14:55
Maj Gen "Chip" Chapman, the former head of counter-terrorism at the Ministry of Defence, said air strikes alone would not be enough to defeat the Islamic State group.
He said:
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At some time, I would say that there will need to be sandals on the ground, not boots on the ground.
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This should really be for local forces to go and do the business on the ground in air/land operations.
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Because this is a ruthless civil war, it's a sectarian war, it's an ethnic war - the transcultural thing that we didn't really understand when we were campaigning in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 15 years."
Call for investigation into online abusepublished at 14:43
Pro-Jeremy Corbyn campaign group Momentum should be disbanded if it is found to be orchestrating attacks on Labour MPs, backbencher Stephen Kinnock has said.
His comments come as MPs claim they have been threatened with attempts to de-select them, external as Labour candidates.
Labour MP Mr Kinnock said: "I think if Momentum is engaged in activity which is directly targeting Labour MPs and abusing them simply because they took a different view on what was a very complex and emotive issue then I think an investigation needs to be held.
"And if that concludes that Momentum is orchestrating and organising these things then yes, I think the NEC needs to rule and look to disband the organisation."
Momentum, a successor organisation to Mr Corbyn's Labour leadership campaign, says in its interim code of ethics, external that it promotes "honest debate focused on policies, not personal attacks or harassment" and "seeks positive and productive engagement with local Labour Party branches".
Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham has also called for action.