Britain Debates Syrian Airstrikes

04:39

December 02, 2015

British Prime Minister David Cameron departs Number 10 Downing Street on December 2, 2015 in London, England. British MPs are expected to vote tonight on whether to back UK airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, following a 10-hour long House of Commons debate. (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)

Two years ago, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron lost a parliamentary vote for airstrikes in Syria. After the Paris attacks, he's trying again. Today, the House of Commons is debating that request, which Cameron says is necessary to protect the United Kingdom.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party opposes the airstrikes. Corbyn favors efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian civil war, which now includes ISIS and Russia on the battlefield.

The BBC's Rob Watson joins Here & Now's Indira Lakshmanan with the latest from London.

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.

Guest

Rob Watson, U.K. political correspondent for BBC World Service. He tweets @robwatsonbbc.

This segment aired on December 2, 2015.

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