The British parliament overwhelmingly approved air strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq on Friday, with 524 lawmakers voting in favor and just 43 opposing military action.
Conservative prime minister David Cameron swayed members of parliament from all major parties to support air operations against the jihadists who beheaded a captured British aid worker earlier this month. Britain had initially balked about intervening in Iraq, while France had quite quickly joined the U.S.-led coalition.
“Left unchecked, we will face a terrorist caliphate on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a NATO member, with a declared and proven intention to attack our country and our people,” the prime minister said. “This is going to be a mission that will take not just months but years but I believe we have to be prepared for that commitment.”
One of the few opponents was far-left-wing lawmaker George Galloway, who said, “Extremism will spread further and deeper around the world just like happened as a result of the last Iraq war. The people outside can see it but the fools in here, who draw a big salary and big expenses, cannot and will not see it.”
Cameron also warned lawmakers that circumstances may eventually force the United Kingdom to expand its intervention into Syria. The United States and a small coalition of Arab partners have already begun bombing raids against Islamic State targets in the country.
Denmark also announced on Friday that it will send seven F-16 fighters to Iraq; the Netherlands promised six jets on Thursday.