Today’s broadcast headlines are dominated by coverage from the Labour Party conference in Brighton, while there is also reporting on the deployment of British troops to Somalia and South Sudan as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
Peacekeeping
The majority of today’s outlets including the Daily Mail, Sun, The Guardian and Daily Telegraph report that Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that Britain will send dozens of troops as part of a peacekeeping mission to Somalia, and may dispatch hundreds to South Sudan. It is reported that up to 70 British soldiers will be deployed to Somalia, a country battling an Islamist insurgency, but the Prime Minister insisted that “all the right force protection arrangements” would be in place to shield them from al-Shabaab militants and they would not take up combat roles. Mr Cameron added that up to 300 British troops could be sent to South Sudan and suggested that bringing stability to both countries could help ease the crisis that has led to hundreds of thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe, which is in Britain’s interest.
In a leader article, the Daily Mail comments that Somalia has become the “world’s most notorious failed state” and “an impossible place to tame”. The BBC’s Political Correspondent Carol Walker meanwhile questioned why the Prime Minister did not consult parliament before announcing the deployment at the UN.
Syria
The Daily Mail, among other outlets, today writes that David Cameron has suggested Syrian president Bashar al-Assad could be prosecuted for war crimes once the conflict in his country is resolved. The article claims Ministers have always said Assad must go because of his “barbaric attacks” on his own people but highlights, in a “significant shift”, Assad could be allowed to remain in place in the short-term while the West prioritises the combating of ISIL. The Times also features this story, writing that President Assad could be allowed to remain in power during a period of “political transition” as part of any negotiated settlement to end the civil war in Syria. The paper writes that the Prime Minister joined France and America in signaling a ‘willingness’ to consider a role for Assad in any ‘transition’. In a leader article, the Independent speculates that perhaps there is no alternative to living with Mr Assad for now, and that the choice being presented is: Mr Assad or ISIL.
The Sun today reports that David Cameron is to hold talks with Iran's President Rouhani in an attempt to build a world alliance of old enemies to defeat ISIL, saying it was in “everyone’s interest”. The paper highlights that he spoke as France carried out its first air strike in Syria against ISIL.
Speaking previously about France's decision to take action, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
ISIL is organised and directed from Syria. I applaud the French decision to help tackle this barbarous terrorism at its source. Degrading and defeating ISIL is all of our responsibility. Striking ISIL in Syria will reinforce the campaign against it in Iraq; it also helps keep our streets safe here at home.
On a similar theme, the BBC reports that Russian president Vladimir Putin has called for a co-ordinated approach to counter-ISIL operations in Syria. Mr Putin made the remark during his trip to America where he will attend the UN General Assembly before holding “rare” talks with US president Barack Obama.
Also on Syria, the Daily Mail says Labour is to call for the United Nations to set up safe havens in the country that could be maintained by no-fly zones and peacekeeping troops. However, party sources are reported to have said no British troops would be involved.
Trident
There is extensive coverage today, including in The Independent , of the decision not to debate Britain’s Trident nuclear submarine capability at this week’s Labour party conference.
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