Britain joins the fight

BRITISH warplanes are about to start bombing Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the country Britain withdrew its forces from with such alacrity and relief in 2011. This was decided by the House of Commons on September 26th, after MPs voted by 524 to 43 to approve David Cameron’s planned intervention. The verdict was overwhelming; yet the day-long debate that preceded it suggested Britain’s latest military campaign has been launched reluctantly and with much confusion about what, exactly, is the point of it.

The parliamentary motion is limited to bombing IS in Iraq, even though the militants’ fief is also spread across northern Syria. That is why the American-led coalition to which Britain will add half a dozen Tornado fighter-bombers is attacking the group in both countries. Mr Cameron would like to be able to do the same. He also suggested there was a clear legal case for intervening in Syria, either on humanitarian grounds, or to protect an ally, Iraq, which has explicitly requested British military support. Yet he has, for now, abandoned plans to bomb the group in Syria because of resistance from Ed Miliband, leader of the opposition Labour Party.