Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday it was time to join airstrikes against ISIS in Syria because Britain cannot "subcontract its security to other countries." Many Britons are wary of entering into another war in the Middle East after Western intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya failed to bring stability to the region and some believe led to the rise of militants groups such as ISIS. But after ISIS claimed responsibility for killing 129 people in Paris, some members of Parliament who were reluctant to launch further military action in the Middle East now feel it is needed to protect Britain from such attacks. Cameron lost a vote on airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in 2013 and must persuade some wary members of his own Conservative Party and in the opposition Labour Party to back him if he is to win Parliament's support for military action. After setting out his case, Cameron appeared to have persuaded at least two of 30 party "rebels" who voted against him in 2013, and his foreign minister, Philip Hammond, later said the government was now "building a consensus now for military action." "It is wrong for the United Kingdom to subcontract its security to other countries, and to expect the aircrews of other nations to carry the burdens and the risks of striking ISIL in Syria to stop terrorism here in Britain," Cameron said, using an alternative acronym for ISIS. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran anti-war campaigner, wrote to his lawmakers later Thursday to say Cameron had not made a convincing case. "I do not believe the prime minister's current proposal for airstrikes in Syria will protect our security and therefore cannot support it," he said in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. Corbyn said his team of senior lawmakers had debated the issue extensively during a meeting Thursday and would meet again Monday to "attempt to reach a common view." Cameron said in his 24-page response that the campaign against ISIS was entering a new phase, focusing on command and control, supply lines and financial support – something that suited Britain's capabilities. Fearful of losing standing on the world stage, Cameron said Britain should respond to requests from allies, including the United States, but said he would not put a vote to Parliament unless there was a majority backing action. He said he did not want to hand ISIS a "propaganda coup" by losing a vote. The government has not set a timetable for any vote but Cameron said earlier this week Parliament would be able to consider his case over the weekend, prompting many to expect he could push for a vote as early as next week. Cameron told some lawmakers, who fear joining the airstrikes over Syria would make Britain more of a target, that with the threat to the country already as high as it could be, the only way of reducing it would be to "degrade" ISIS. Cameron is hoping to find some support among Labour lawmakers, who are deeply split over Corbyn's anti-war stance. Breaking with a British political tradition of using a "party whip" to maintain parliamentary discipline, Corbyn's finance spokesman said Labour was considering allowing its lawmakers to vote as they wish. "In these sort of issues of conscience it is better to allow MPs to make their own minds up," John McDonnell told BBC television ahead of Cameron's statement.
