The USA have launched air strikes, working with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar, who all took part, or supported the strikes.
Monday's strikes expanded the anti-IS campaign across the border into Syria for the first time. The strikes targeted the group's main headquarters in its stronghold of Raqqa, north-eastern Syria. The US has launched nearly 200 air strikes in Iraq against IS since August.
As always, I would welcome constituents thoughts. Thus far we have taken no physical action but have provided diplomatic support. But ...diplomacy will only get you so far with an organisation who
- kidnap people and then behead them http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29086517
- or massacre those who will not support their extremist views.
For those who do not know what IS are have a read here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29052144
The US Secretary of State has spent a lot of time making sure that this Coalition is a group of countries from all across the Middle East.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29197863
I should stress that am not certain that parliament is to be recalled [it requires the PM and Opposition leaders to agree in reality] although there is much discussion of this, and certainly the Guardian and other papers seem to think so. There are no easy answers but these monsters are not going to stop, that much is clear. I am in Westminster today, but my present plan is to go North tomorrow.
