File photo of David Cameron. (Reuters)
London:
The legality of an unprecedented RAF drone attack that killed two British jihadists in Syria came under scrutiny Tuesday, as the defence minister indicated Britain could target more militants in future.
Prime Minister David Cameron was challenged to shed light on specific threats that led to the killing of Islamic State (IS) militants Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin in the Syrian city of Raqqa, which he declared "an act of self-defence".
As debate raged in British media, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Tuesday Britain would readily strike again to prevent attacks on home soil.
"There are other terrorists involved in other plots that may come to fruition over the next few weeks and months and we wouldn't hesitate to take similar action again," Fallon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Elizabeth Quintana, director of military science at defence think-tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told AFP that while the strikes may have been legally justifiable, they were "highly controversial".
While acknowledging the "imminent threat" to Britain, Quintana warned: "They have to understand that this is something that is deeply troubling to a lot of people and they need to provide further details of how this type of operation will take place and reassure the public that it is not something they are going to do lightly."
'Change of approach'
The August 21 strike was revealed by Prime Minister David Cameron in a speech to parliament Monday.
He described it as the first such military action by Britain in a country where it is not involved in military operations.
"The fact that we have chosen to use drones outside of theatre operations where we as a country have decided to go cuts at the heart of what we in the UK might want to stand for," added Quintana, who said the actions hinted at a "change of approach" by Britain's defence ministry.
Cameron told parliament the strike was warranted since Khan, 21, had been planning "barbaric" attacks in Britain on high-profile public events over the summer.
Khan appeared alongside Amin, 26, in an IS recruitment video in 2014 after travelling to Syria.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper, quoting unnamed government sources, said Khan was leading a plot to attack VJ Day commemoration services in London attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the prime minister.
'Draconian thing to do' -
Cameron said the decision to strike had been taken on advice from the attorney general, Britain's chief legal advisor.
However former attorney general Dominic Grieve told the BBC it was possible the government's decision could be "legally reviewed or challenged".
"It is a very draconian thing to do, after all the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act give a right to life and the United Kingdom should not interfere with that lightly," he said.
"I very strongly suspect that in view of the fact that this man was a British national with family in this country it will probably lead to a legal challenge in due course."
British tabloids cheered the killings with The Sun's front-page headline reading: "Wham! Bam! Thank You Cam!", while other commentators took a less sanguine view.
The main opposition Labour Party called on the government to publish the legal advice it received and Conservative MP David Davis said there should be a formal check on such decisions.
"Because otherwise, it's extra-judicial execution," he said.
Amnesty International UK said Britain had joined the US in conducting "summary executions from the air".
"If we allow this to become the norm, we could have countries all over the world conducting aerial execution of perceived enemies on the basis of secret, unchallengeable evidence," its director, Kate Allen, said.
British lawmakers voted in 2013 against military action in Syria and Cameron has indicated he would only go ahead with a vote to extend airstrikes from Iraq to Syria if he had cross-party support.
Labour leadership favourite Jeremy Corbyn, said: "I have questioned the legal basis for the use of drones. Urgent consideration now needs to be given to the appropriate process by which attacks such as this one are sanctioned, on what evidence and on what basis of law."
Prime Minister David Cameron was challenged to shed light on specific threats that led to the killing of Islamic State (IS) militants Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin in the Syrian city of Raqqa, which he declared "an act of self-defence".
As debate raged in British media, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Tuesday Britain would readily strike again to prevent attacks on home soil.
"There are other terrorists involved in other plots that may come to fruition over the next few weeks and months and we wouldn't hesitate to take similar action again," Fallon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Elizabeth Quintana, director of military science at defence think-tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, told AFP that while the strikes may have been legally justifiable, they were "highly controversial".
While acknowledging the "imminent threat" to Britain, Quintana warned: "They have to understand that this is something that is deeply troubling to a lot of people and they need to provide further details of how this type of operation will take place and reassure the public that it is not something they are going to do lightly."
'Change of approach'
The August 21 strike was revealed by Prime Minister David Cameron in a speech to parliament Monday.
He described it as the first such military action by Britain in a country where it is not involved in military operations.
"The fact that we have chosen to use drones outside of theatre operations where we as a country have decided to go cuts at the heart of what we in the UK might want to stand for," added Quintana, who said the actions hinted at a "change of approach" by Britain's defence ministry.
Cameron told parliament the strike was warranted since Khan, 21, had been planning "barbaric" attacks in Britain on high-profile public events over the summer.
Khan appeared alongside Amin, 26, in an IS recruitment video in 2014 after travelling to Syria.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper, quoting unnamed government sources, said Khan was leading a plot to attack VJ Day commemoration services in London attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the prime minister.
'Draconian thing to do' -
Cameron said the decision to strike had been taken on advice from the attorney general, Britain's chief legal advisor.
However former attorney general Dominic Grieve told the BBC it was possible the government's decision could be "legally reviewed or challenged".
"It is a very draconian thing to do, after all the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act give a right to life and the United Kingdom should not interfere with that lightly," he said.
"I very strongly suspect that in view of the fact that this man was a British national with family in this country it will probably lead to a legal challenge in due course."
British tabloids cheered the killings with The Sun's front-page headline reading: "Wham! Bam! Thank You Cam!", while other commentators took a less sanguine view.
The main opposition Labour Party called on the government to publish the legal advice it received and Conservative MP David Davis said there should be a formal check on such decisions.
"Because otherwise, it's extra-judicial execution," he said.
Amnesty International UK said Britain had joined the US in conducting "summary executions from the air".
"If we allow this to become the norm, we could have countries all over the world conducting aerial execution of perceived enemies on the basis of secret, unchallengeable evidence," its director, Kate Allen, said.
British lawmakers voted in 2013 against military action in Syria and Cameron has indicated he would only go ahead with a vote to extend airstrikes from Iraq to Syria if he had cross-party support.
Labour leadership favourite Jeremy Corbyn, said: "I have questioned the legal basis for the use of drones. Urgent consideration now needs to be given to the appropriate process by which attacks such as this one are sanctioned, on what evidence and on what basis of law."
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