Paris attacks: david cameron to meet Francois hollande

Paris attacks: David Cameron to meet
Francois Hollande
21 November 2015 UK
Prime Minister David Cameron will meet French
President Francois Hollande in Paris on Monday to
discuss the fight against terror.
They will discuss how to co-operate on counter-
terrorism and in the fight against so-called Islamic
State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, UK officials said.
Earlier Mr Cameron hailed a universally approved
UN Security Council resolution to "redouble" action
against IS.
IS has said it carried out the Paris attacks, which
left 130 people dead.
Monday's meeting will begin a week of diplomacy
in which Mr Hollande will meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
and US President Barack Obama.
Brussels alert over fears of 'Paris-style attack'
Paris attacks: Brussels on high alert
In-depth coverage of the attacks and their
aftermath
A French-drafted UN document asking countries to
"combat by all means this unprecedented threat"
from IS received universal approval on Friday night.
The resolution is a call for countries to take action
rather than a legal authorisation to use all necessary
measures, the BBC's UN correspondent Nick Bryant
said.
However France - which is already carrying out air
strikes against Islamic State in Syria - argues that
military action is legally justifiable because of the
right of countries to defend themselves, he added.
Mr Cameron said the UN vote was an important
moment which "shows beyond doubt the breadth of
international support" to "eradicate" IS.
He is seeking to build cross-party support in the
UK for British air strikes against IS - also known as
Isil, Isis or Daesh - in Syria, though there is no
timetable for a Parliamentary vote.
'Russian co-operation'
On Saturday, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said
the country was ready to discuss UK involvement in
air strikes in Syria.
Mariya Zakharova told state television news
programme Vesti: "Our position is absolutely clear:
there should be co-operation, so that any (actions)
are not targeted at destroying the Syrian state."
Russia and the UK have different views on how to
solve Syria's long-running civil war.
Two years ago, MPs voted against possible UK
military action against President Bashar al-Assad's
government in Syria.
Parliament later approved British participation in air
strikes against IS extremists in Iraq, which have
been ongoing ever since.
On Saturday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his
party would support "every necessary measure" to
protect people in the UK, but warned people "must
not keep making the same mistakes" when
responding to acts of terror.
It was "vital" during a time of tragedy "not to be
drawn into responses that feed a cycle of violence
and hate", he said.
The recent events in Paris have won round some
MPs, who had previously stated their opposition to
action in Syria, to the idea of bombing IS targets in
the country.
But Defence Select Committee chairman,
Conservative MP Julian Lewis, said he was
standing firm in his belief that air strikes were not
the answer.
"I am in favour of effective military action to destroy
Daesh, Isil, (but) bombing alone, without credible
ground forces, is ineffective action," he told the
BBC.
"There is little, if any, evidence in history of a
successful bombing campaign unless there were
ground forces to take over."
The SNP said the prime minister should not take
the UN resolution as an authorisation for UK military
action.
The UK government had not made a case that
Britain "adding to the bombing of Syria will make
any material difference", a spokesperson said.
Brussels alert
Meanwhile, Belgium has raised its terror alert in
the Brussels region to the highest level, warning of
a "very serious" and "imminent" threat. The Brussels
metro network has been closed for the weekend.
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice
for Belgium , advising people to avoid busy places,
including concerts, stations, airports, and shopping
centres.
At Premier League football matches this weekend,
the French national anthem - La Marseillaise - will
be played in a show of support.
A choral version will be played after the coin toss,
with players from both teams coming together with
match officials in the centre circle.