Islamic State militants are advancing in the town of Kobane, in Syria, where they are encountered by Kurdish fighters. The Islamic State controls most of north-eastern Syria, as well as some territories in Iraq. These fights are visible from Turkey. Due to these attacks, about 140,000 people from Kobane went to Turkey, over the past week, in order to seek safety. The US has declared that their army was able to destroy four tanks and damage another one, during the fourth night of heavy bombardments in Syria. A number of European countries have agreed to conduct air strikes against the Islamic State.
Today, the UK parliament has agreed to participate in the operation. Belgium am Denmark have also announced their wish to collaborate in the fight against the Islamic State. However, some Western countries are worried about bombing Syria, since the Syrian government has not requested foreign assistance against the Islamic State, like Iraq did. After seven hour long discussions and debates, the British MPs voted in favor of initiating air strikes against the Islamic State and six RAF Tornados will be called into action in the next few days. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This is about psychopathic terrorists that are trying to kill us and we do have to realize that, whether we like it or not, they have already declared war on us.” Denmark’s government agreed to send seven F-16s and Belgium agreed to send six.
Defense Secretary Michael Fallon stated that a serious campaign will follow and that they will not immediately attack. He went on saying that the priority would be to stop the “slaughter of civilians”. Also, he stated the UK and other allies will be guided further on by Iraqi and Kurdish intelligence, in order to identify the targets. Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that the intervention requested by the Iraqi government was “morally justified”, in order to combat a “brutal terrorist organization”.
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This week, US President Barack Obama urged other countries to get involved in the fight against the Islamic State. He stated it was a “network of death”. Over 40 countries agreed to join in the fight. Several of these countries are from the Middle East.