Daily Lessons from Life 14 September 2014 - Cameron resists calls for air strikes despite hostage killing

"Cameron resists calls for air strikes despite hostage killing - Reuters  Sep 14, 2014

LONDON/EDINBURGH - Britain on Sunday resisted pressure to join the United States in announcing air strikes against Islamic State after the militant group beheaded David Haines, a British hostage.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the government's emergency response committee in London, Prime Minister David Cameron said his government was battling IS on numerous fronts but was not, for now, launching air strikes.

"As this strategy intensifies we are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to deal with this threat and keep our country safe," he said in a TV statement from his office. "Step by step, we must drive back, dismantle, and ultimately destroy ISIL (IS) and what it stands for. We will do so in a calm deliberate way, but with an iron determination."

Britain has in the past often been the first country to join US military action overseas, but war-weary public opinion, the parliament's rejection last year of air strikes on Syria, and sensitivities surrounding Scotland's independence referendum on Thursday mean Cameron is reticent this time round.

Cameron's last attempt to get the British parliament to back such air strikes, against Syria last year, failed to win the support of lawmakers.

Video footage of the murder of Haines by IS militants fighting in Iraq and Syria means Cameron, who is also trying to persuade Scotland to reject independence in Thursday's referendum, is under pressure to get much tougher with IS.

With Scotland his domestic priority, he is aware that many Scots have traditionally been more sceptical of British military action overseas and that proposing air strikes now could risk alienating them before the independence vote.

Cameron, who returned to London ahead of schedule on Saturday night to chair the emergency COBR meeting, called the murder of Haines, a 44 year-old Scottish aid worker, callous and brutal, hailing the murdered man as a "British hero". "We will hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice no matter how long it takes," he said, calling IS "the embodiment of evil". "They are not Muslims, they are monsters," he said."

A very depressing piece of news. Killing an aid worker!! WHY?

Lessons for me are:

1. the beheading of an aid worker is totally unacceptable. He is NOT a soldier. He is there to help provide aid to the local people. Yes?;

2. why PM Cameron called the beheaded aid work a 'British Hero', it meant nothing really to his family members who rather he be alive and be just an ordinary aid worker that he wanted to be! That he is Scottish does make the coming Scotland's independence reference on Thursday that much trickier for the politicians to 'do their things'! It is interesting that PM Cameron is concerned that joining an air strike will not be seen as 'getting even with the murderers of Mr Haines' but just another bloody rush-of-blood and publicity seeking exercise with the Americans! It seems that the Scots had been sceptical about the involvement of Britain in this mindless war!;

3. what stood out most in the news report is that statement: 'the IS are NOT Muslims, they are MONSTERS.' Indeed, the last 3 beheading and the video taping of them, are overboard. Excessive and COWARDLY. Will the moderate Muslims speak up against IS? Will MORE of them speak out against IS? If they don't, this great religion will continue to be 'misunderstood and feared or worst, hated'. This cannot be what the majority of the Muslims, who are MODERATE and peace loving WANT!

A depressing piece of news to end the week. Hope the coming week will bring MORE positive stories!