| Synopsis: |
Al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq al-Sham (DAESH) controls territory equivalent to the size of the UK, including the second largest city in Iraq. It has contributed to the displacement of millions of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs), destabilising and threatening neighbouring states. It provides safe haven to an estimated 20,000 foreign fighters, many dedicated to an international terrorist campaign. Amedy Coulibaly, the terrorist who carried out an attack on a Jewish Supermarket in Paris on 9 January 2015 had declared his allegiance to DAESH in a video made public after his death. Mehdi Nemmouche, who carried out an attack on the Jewish Museum on 24 May 2014 in Brussels, was found to have fought for DAESH in Syria. An international coalition has now committed itself to the destruction of DAESH - making it the leading international defence and security priority of the UK Government today. Since the September 2014 vote of the House of Commons in favour of military air strikes in Iraq, the UK actions have remained strikingly modest. The Committee sees no evidence of an energised policy debate, reviewing or arguing options for deeper engagement.Instead many questions of the mission or strategy, appear to have been left either in a vacuum between Government departments or left to the international coalition. Given that DAESH is the most dramatic and significant threat to regional stability, and international security, to have emerged in the Middle East in decades, the Committee are surprised and deeply concerned that the UK is not doing more. |