:00:00. > :00:00.normal for us not to have opposition day debate by this stage. In 2015 by
:00:00. > :00:08.the summary says after the general election we had already had five
:00:09. > :00:13.opposition days. Order. We are not opening up the debate, it has been
:00:14. > :00:16.dealt with. We will move onto the next business. The ministerial
:00:17. > :00:28.statement, Secretary of State for Defence. With permission, Mr Deputy
:00:29. > :00:34.Speaker, I would like to update the house on the counter Daesh campaign
:00:35. > :00:41.in Iraq and Syria and the United Kingdom's involvement in this
:00:42. > :00:45.collective effort by some 68 coalition nations, as well as the
:00:46. > :00:56.Arab league, Interpol, the European Union and Nato. On Monday, three
:00:57. > :01:11.years after be Daesh Aleida declared his so-called caliphate, victory was
:01:12. > :01:19.declared in Mosul. Today, Daesh's black flag is no longer fly. The are
:01:20. > :01:24.now only small pockets of resistance in west Mosul. I'm sure the whole
:01:25. > :01:30.House will want to join me in praising all of those involved in
:01:31. > :01:35.the operation. Over the last nine months, Iraqi security forces,
:01:36. > :01:39.including the Kurdish Peshmerga, have fought in challenging
:01:40. > :01:45.conditions to root out a callous enemy. Over 1200 Iraqi soldiers have
:01:46. > :01:49.been killed in the fight for Mosul and more than 6000 wounded. I pay
:01:50. > :01:58.tribute to the coverage and the sacrifice. They had been supported
:01:59. > :02:01.with the permission of this House since September 2014 by the RAF
:02:02. > :02:05.whose precision strikes represent two thirds of the coalition effort
:02:06. > :02:13.outside of the United States operations against more than the 750
:02:14. > :02:25.Daesh targets. The Army has trained over 58,000 Loki in -- local Iraqi
:02:26. > :02:29.personnel. The royal navy has helped to protect aircraft carriers from
:02:30. > :02:38.which strikes have been flown. The United Kingdom's cyber capability
:02:39. > :02:45.has disrupted the extremists' activity. In Iraq 1.8 million people
:02:46. > :02:54.have been freed from Daesh's Croll rule. Daesh have now lost more than
:02:55. > :02:57.70% of the territory they once occupied in Iraq, but the liberation
:02:58. > :03:09.of Mosul does not mean that by Ash has been defeated in Iraq or Syria.
:03:10. > :03:15.-- Daesh. We need no reminder of the danger they still pose. In the past
:03:16. > :03:20.few months our nation has suffered from three appalling attacks
:03:21. > :03:27.inspired by the ideology shared by Daesh. I want to update the house in
:03:28. > :03:32.three areas. First the military effort. We must ensure that there
:03:33. > :03:36.are no safe havens for Daesh in Syria and Iraq. That is why Iraqi
:03:37. > :03:46.security forces with the United Kingdom support will go on now to
:03:47. > :03:51.defeat Daesh, to uproot them from the Euphrates River Valley and clear
:03:52. > :03:56.the area of improvised explosive devices which let the lives of so
:03:57. > :04:14.many innocent civilians. As Iraq is secured, and we have months to go,
:04:15. > :04:25.we will continue in Syria. They have rejected Daesh from 51% of the
:04:26. > :04:31.provinces they occupy. The SDF are relying heavily on coalition air
:04:32. > :04:36.assets, reconnaissance and pinpoint missile strikes which we will
:04:37. > :04:41.continue to provide as part of the global coalition. As we maintain
:04:42. > :04:47.pressure on Mosul and Raqqa, we will continue to tighten the net around
:04:48. > :04:51.this callous organisation, squeezing the terrorists on simultaneous
:04:52. > :04:55.fronts, striking the senior leadership, capturing the poisonous
:04:56. > :05:01.narrative and cutting off their finances as they progressively lose
:05:02. > :05:07.access to the oil infrastructure on which they rely. Second,
:05:08. > :05:10.humanitarian aid. We will continue to provide stabilisation and
:05:11. > :05:14.humanitarian assistance. The International Development Secretary
:05:15. > :05:19.updated the house yesterday on the humanitarian response that is
:05:20. > :05:25.required in Mosul. Yet while that city can at last look forward, the
:05:26. > :05:31.humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire. 13.5 million people
:05:32. > :05:37.urgently need humanitarian assistance. 4.5 million of them are
:05:38. > :05:44.in areas which are hard to reach and 1.3 million of those living under
:05:45. > :05:48.siege like conditions. Around 100,000 civilians are estimated to
:05:49. > :05:52.be remaining in Iraq are city, caught between Daesh and Assad in
:05:53. > :05:59.desperate need of aid. Our response has been to commit 2.46 billion in
:06:00. > :06:03.support for Syria. The largest ever British response to a single
:06:04. > :06:08.humanitarian crisis, and all the while pushing for better access that
:06:09. > :06:13.much-needed food and medicine reach people and for an end to attacks on
:06:14. > :06:21.civilians. UK support has helped to stabilise the region more widely.
:06:22. > :06:25.Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan have become hosts to large scale simian
:06:26. > :06:30.populations and my right honourable friend the International Development
:06:31. > :06:34.Secretary's Department has ensured that those departments have been
:06:35. > :06:38.given the assistance they need in hosting large refugee populations in
:06:39. > :06:45.improving regional security and reducing consequent migration
:06:46. > :06:49.pressures in Europe. Thirdly, stronger governments. Humanitarian
:06:50. > :06:52.aid is only part of the answer and meaningful political settlement is
:06:53. > :06:58.needed now to guarantee sustainable peace. So we are working with our
:06:59. > :07:04.international allies to strengthen regional governments. When it comes
:07:05. > :07:11.to Iraq, the Foreign Secretary emphasise this to be Foreign
:07:12. > :07:14.Minister Jafar Read, it means inclusive politics post Mosul,
:07:15. > :07:19.allaying fears addressing the grievances that led to the rise of
:07:20. > :07:31.Daesh and sticking to the April 20 18th election timetable. In Syria
:07:32. > :07:35.the barbaric chemical weapons attack in April reminds us that the Assad
:07:36. > :07:41.regime is no partner for peace. We continue to work for a transition
:07:42. > :07:45.towards new governance, fully representative, that is committed to
:07:46. > :07:51.protecting the rights of everyone in Syria. It is for Syrian is to decide
:07:52. > :07:57.how that happens as part of a Syrian transition process, but to reach
:07:58. > :08:02.that goal we continue to support the work of the United Nations special
:08:03. > :08:06.envoy, as well of the political process that he is overseeing in
:08:07. > :08:11.Geneva. We are engaging as well with the opposition to help them move
:08:12. > :08:17.towards a political settlement and we use our role in the Security
:08:18. > :08:20.Council and our participation in the international similar support group
:08:21. > :08:26.to push for process. The recently negotiated ceasefire and the
:08:27. > :08:30.escalation agreement brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan is
:08:31. > :08:38.welcome. We hope it will lead to further de-escalation agreements. It
:08:39. > :08:42.all depends on all the parties involved bow and we encourage them
:08:43. > :08:47.to comply. What will count, and we have seen these agreements before,
:08:48. > :08:51.what will count is what holds on the ground. In conclusion, Mr Deputy
:08:52. > :08:59.Speaker, as I took office three years ago this week, Daesh were
:09:00. > :09:03.closing in on the gates of Baghdad. Today they are a failing
:09:04. > :09:08.organisation, what one that remains a threat. Mosul has now been
:09:09. > :09:17.liberated, but the war remains to be won in Iraq as well as Syria. Our
:09:18. > :09:23.resolve is unwavering as a leading member of the coalition. We will do
:09:24. > :09:27.all we can to defeat Daesh and bring stability to the region, to provide
:09:28. > :09:38.greater security to our people and to our allies at home and abroad.
:09:39. > :09:43.Hear, hear. Can I thank the Secretary of State for his statement
:09:44. > :09:47.and for advance sight of it. Mr Speaker, the liberation of Mosul
:09:48. > :09:50.marks the end of three years of Daesh control of the city and we pay
:09:51. > :09:54.tribute to all of those personnel who have taken part in this
:09:55. > :10:03.campaign, especially our service men and women, who have served in the
:10:04. > :10:06.operation. Whilst the battle for Mosul has almost been concluded, we
:10:07. > :10:10.know that the fight against Daesh in Iraq and the wider region is far
:10:11. > :10:13.from over. Then I asked the Secretary of State about the nature
:10:14. > :10:29.of the support the UK will continue to provide show show -- to provide?
:10:30. > :10:40.We know our Armed Forces have taken every precaution to prevent civilian
:10:41. > :10:44.casualties. However, Amnesty International has produced a report
:10:45. > :10:47.that is highly critical of the Iraqi government and the coalition. It has
:10:48. > :10:53.been alleged that the actions of the coalition in Mosul have been
:10:54. > :11:01.disproportionate and even, I quote, unlawful. I know that Major General
:11:02. > :11:04.Rupert commander of the international anti-Daesh commission
:11:05. > :11:10.has condemned the report in the strongest possible terms, saying
:11:11. > :11:13.that it is deeply irresponsible and he has emphatically stated that we
:11:14. > :11:18.should not forget that it is Daesh who are deliberately killing
:11:19. > :11:25.civilians. Can I ask the secretary of state what his response is to the
:11:26. > :11:29.Amnesty report? The Iraqi government has concerns about the possibility
:11:30. > :11:34.of Daesh fighters crossing back into Iraq from Syria. So what role with
:11:35. > :11:44.our Armed Forces play in ensuring the security of the border between
:11:45. > :11:52.Iraq and Syria? As the operation moves from counterintelligence to
:11:53. > :11:55.counterterrorism. -- counterterrorism, come the Secretary
:11:56. > :11:59.of State update the house on the support and training that we will
:12:00. > :12:06.continue to give to the Iraqi ground forces? The campaign against Daesh
:12:07. > :12:14.in Syria is undoubtedly a more challenging and complex situation
:12:15. > :12:17.that in Iraq. There are limitations on what the Defence Secretary can
:12:18. > :12:21.tell the house, but can I ask the Secretary of State to be more
:12:22. > :12:28.specific on the role our Armed Forces will have in the role of
:12:29. > :12:36.liberating Raqqa from Daesh control? Finally, as the Secretary of State
:12:37. > :12:43.will be aware, a member -- members have been calling for a service
:12:44. > :12:52.medal for service men and women on this operation. It is now the time
:12:53. > :12:56.to provide proper recognition to all of those who have served on that
:12:57. > :13:07.operation and who have played a vital part in the fight against
:13:08. > :13:14.Daesh and its perverse ideology. I am grateful to the honourable member
:13:15. > :13:23.for what he said, particularly about the role of our service men and
:13:24. > :13:26.women. Many of them have served the nearly three years, under some
:13:27. > :13:28.intense conditions and it is right that we should across this House pay
:13:29. > :13:38.tribute to them. Is here about the next stage of this
:13:39. > :13:43.campaign. Also has not fallen and there is a pocket of resistance.
:13:44. > :13:49.Appear of our Tornado and Typhoon were over the city yesterday. There
:13:50. > :13:55.is still work to be done. There will be work to be done to assist the
:13:56. > :14:01.Iraqi forces in the capture of Tal Afar and in the campaign. The
:14:02. > :14:10.campaign goes on. It might become more complex as Daesh spreads out
:14:11. > :14:13.and moves to some of the less populated areas. Yasmine about the
:14:14. > :14:24.Amnesty report which I have not seen. I would certainly recommend he
:14:25. > :14:29.heeds the words of the deputy Coalition commander. I can reassure
:14:30. > :14:34.the host that so far as our own participation in the Coalition air
:14:35. > :14:40.strikes we carry out, these are absolutely lawful and are conducted
:14:41. > :14:43.in accordance with the law of armed conflict and international
:14:44. > :14:54.humanitarian law. We have rigorous rules of engagement. There are
:14:55. > :14:58.robust targeting features. They are aiming to strike targets with a
:14:59. > :15:03.weapon that is designed and a choice of weapon that is designed to
:15:04. > :15:07.absolutely minimise the risk of civilian casualties. And legal back
:15:08. > :15:12.afterwards to do an assessment of the blast area and whether or not
:15:13. > :15:19.there were any unforeseen consequences. And where there are
:15:20. > :15:23.allegations that there had been civilian casualties or the wrong
:15:24. > :15:28.building was hit, we on the Coalition side absolutely
:15:29. > :15:33.investigate those allegations, we publish their findings, in
:15:34. > :15:36.distinction to what the Russians have been doing in Syria, we
:15:37. > :15:41.investigate and publish findings and of mistakes were made or procedures
:15:42. > :15:46.need to be corrected then that is done. But I want to assure the House
:15:47. > :15:54.that I have seen no evidence as of yet that an RAF strike has involved
:15:55. > :15:57.civilian casualties and I wait to see that evidence being produced. If
:15:58. > :16:03.anybody has any evidence then it needs to be forwarded to us, as
:16:04. > :16:07.indeed other organisations like air awards have been doing throughout
:16:08. > :16:12.the conflict. And be ready to investigate. Otherwise I would urge
:16:13. > :16:18.extreme caution in the handling of the Amnesty report. The honourable
:16:19. > :16:23.gentleman asked me about the border area between Iraq and Syria, it is
:16:24. > :16:29.that metal bit of the Euphrates River valley where we anticipate
:16:30. > :16:33.Daesh will coalesce having been driven out of rancour and Syria
:16:34. > :16:38.eventually and from morsel and tell far in Iraq. And our training effort
:16:39. > :16:44.will now of course be Iraq from the training we do that Al acid airbase
:16:45. > :16:48.in Amla province, to improve the capability of the Iraqi forces to
:16:49. > :16:55.police their border having secured it. And we will be doing more of
:16:56. > :17:01.that in conjunction with our other allies. Yasmine about the campaign
:17:02. > :17:06.in Syria. We will continue with air strikes. Yesterday appear of our
:17:07. > :17:10.aircraft were in action at the edge of Iraq are assisting that campaign.
:17:11. > :17:17.There is a lot of work to be done before Raqqa is liberated and other
:17:18. > :17:22.towns in the Euphrates River Valley remain under Daesh control.
:17:23. > :17:25.Certainly the air campaign, the Intel gathering, will probably
:17:26. > :17:31.become more important as Daesh eventually start to disburse around
:17:32. > :17:37.some of these smaller towns. Finally, he asked me about metallic
:17:38. > :17:43.recognition. I think the whole house would want to see this huge effort
:17:44. > :17:48.properly rewarded. I am awaiting final advice from the military and I
:17:49. > :17:59.hope to make an announcement on that shortly. Me I firstly say to the
:18:00. > :18:04.Secretary of State that the reason why surely these cities have not
:18:05. > :18:09.been liberated sooner is because of the care that has been taken in the
:18:10. > :18:16.targeting of the area of bombardment? But does he accept that
:18:17. > :18:20.whereas the intervention with air strikes in Iraq was noncontroversial
:18:21. > :18:27.because we are prepared to see the army of the Iraqi government win,
:18:28. > :18:33.the same does not apply in Syria? Can he tell the House apart from the
:18:34. > :18:39.Kurdish elements in Syria, who else does he expect to run the country
:18:40. > :18:48.when Daesh's land is taken from it? If not the Syrian government, with
:18:49. > :18:53.or without Assad? Let me repeat your congratulations to my right
:18:54. > :18:55.honourable friend on resuming his chairmanship of the select
:18:56. > :19:03.committee. I look forward to working with him on that. We have always
:19:04. > :19:09.differed on the nature of the Syrian campaign and I know he has had
:19:10. > :19:11.reservations on it. I think he is right to recognise the difference.
:19:12. > :19:19.We are not working with the Syrian regime, however we do want to see
:19:20. > :19:23.Daesh driven out of Syria. It remains a threat in Syria to this
:19:24. > :19:30.country and needs to be defeated in Syria. But of course as he says we
:19:31. > :19:40.then need those parts of Syria returned to civilian control and a
:19:41. > :19:44.control that is properly involving the Arab population. That is all
:19:45. > :19:50.part of the process we are encouraging in Geneva. The solution
:19:51. > :19:58.lies in Arab led governments committee is right. Can I also thank
:19:59. > :20:03.the Defence Secretary for his statement and to put on record the
:20:04. > :20:07.tribute of the SNP to the forces involved in liberating morsel to the
:20:08. > :20:11.extent it has? And extend our congratulations to the right
:20:12. > :20:16.honourable gentleman, the chair of the Defence Select Committee on his
:20:17. > :20:23.real action? The whole house will welcome the diminished status that
:20:24. > :20:32.tend to know his. Pass there is a difference of opinion in how to
:20:33. > :20:35.defeat them. There are two mac specific areas of concern I would
:20:36. > :20:40.liken to address. One concerns the dramatic rise in the past few weeks
:20:41. > :20:47.in civilian casualties. In June alone, there has been a 52% increase
:20:48. > :20:53.in comparison to the month of May. Somewhere between 529 and 744,
:20:54. > :21:08.according to air awards whom he mentions in response to the shadow
:21:09. > :21:15.minister. Can the Minister outline if you will make a commitment to
:21:16. > :21:22.greater scrutiny and transparency on that. Will he ensure that there is
:21:23. > :21:27.dedicated mechanisms within operation shader for UK forces. I
:21:28. > :21:37.have written to him specifically about this. The 2015 mandate of this
:21:38. > :21:41.House was very clearly about targeting Daesh, nobody else in
:21:42. > :21:46.Syria. I tried to get some clarity from him on Monday. I don't know if
:21:47. > :21:52.he misunderstood my question, but I didn't get the clarity are seeking.
:21:53. > :21:57.Will he confirm that mandate in 2015 to target Daesh stands? And the
:21:58. > :22:02.government has no plans to expand that target to any other actor. If
:22:03. > :22:08.it does, as the US president seems to wish the United Kingdom to do, it
:22:09. > :22:13.will only happen on the back of a debate and vote for members of the
:22:14. > :22:19.House? I'm grateful to the tribute he has paid to our Armed Forces. It
:22:20. > :22:23.is worth reminding us that the Scottish Nationalist Party against
:22:24. > :22:28.military action in Iraq and Syria. It's all very well to see the now
:22:29. > :22:34.welcome the fact that Daesh has been defeated in Iraq, without air power
:22:35. > :22:41.and British air power, how much longer would Daesh have continued to
:22:42. > :22:45.behead people, to shoot people, to throw people off buildings without
:22:46. > :22:48.the involvement of 68 countries around the world? But without the
:22:49. > :22:56.support of the Scottish Nationalists. I think he should just
:22:57. > :23:00.reflect on that. So far as ten are concerned, yes we work with them
:23:01. > :23:04.when they have allegations and they suspect they might have been British
:23:05. > :23:08.aircraft in the air at the time. Look at the information, we
:23:09. > :23:12.investigated, so far we haven't found any evidence of civilian
:23:13. > :23:22.casualties being caused by British strike, but we continue to work with
:23:23. > :23:35.Air Wars. We also carry out up battle damage assessment to see what
:23:36. > :23:39.effect the strike has had. He is quite right to speak about the
:23:40. > :23:45.increase of British casualties in the final weeks of the battle in
:23:46. > :23:54.West morsel. A highly compact city. Very densely populated with Daesh
:23:55. > :23:58.shooting hostages if they tried to escape. A kind of tense urban
:23:59. > :24:04.warfare we have not seen and not been involved in since probably the
:24:05. > :24:17.Second World War. A very complex military operation. I pay tribute to
:24:18. > :24:27.those involved in doing the job and the skill of our pilots alongside
:24:28. > :24:32.the rest of the Coalition. Yasmine about the on Monday. I signed a
:24:33. > :24:44.letter yesterday. It gives clarity on the point he raises. Is the
:24:45. > :24:55.expectation of sufficient reform in Iraq realistic? Yes indeed. The
:24:56. > :25:09.government itself is representative of all parts of Iraq. The president
:25:10. > :25:19.is a my opposite number is a SUNY. The government is genuinely
:25:20. > :25:26.represents a. But it has work to do regarding some provinces in the
:25:27. > :25:31.West. They must feel part of Moder in Iraq and will be protected from
:25:32. > :25:40.any kind of sheer aggression which they have suffered from in the past.
:25:41. > :25:58.The government has lasted longer than some critics originally
:25:59. > :26:10.suggested. The Secretary of State referred twice regarding the
:26:11. > :26:18.negotiations in Geneva. He didn't mention the Russian tackiest Iranian
:26:19. > :26:22.initiative and the Astana Kazakhstan meeting. What is the British
:26:23. > :26:26.Government's assessment of the role of that process and the fact it
:26:27. > :26:35.seems to be undermining efforts in Geneva? We support any genuine
:26:36. > :26:43.efforts to reduce violence in Syria and bring the civil war to an end.
:26:44. > :26:55.Not able to endorse the process for a number of reasons... We want the
:26:56. > :27:06.kind of pluralistic governance in Syria that we now have in Iraq. And
:27:07. > :27:10.one that does not require further interference from Iran. I was
:27:11. > :27:14.delighted to share my honourable friend referring to the need for
:27:15. > :27:19.inclusive politics Post a morsel in order to win the peace, as well as
:27:20. > :27:26.the war in Iraq. Can he assure the House that the government is going
:27:27. > :27:29.to keep up pressure on the regime saw the new governor of morsel fully
:27:30. > :27:36.respect the rights of all populations living there?
:27:37. > :27:42.Absolutely, and unequivocal yes. It is so important now that the city
:27:43. > :27:47.administrations and the governments themselves get engaged in this
:27:48. > :27:52.process of political reconciliation. I continue to do that. My Foreign
:27:53. > :27:56.Office colleagues continue to urge that on the government as a
:27:57. > :28:02.precondition for the kind of reconciliation we want to see. Can I
:28:03. > :28:06.welcome the liberation of morsel and paid tribute to members of our Armed
:28:07. > :28:12.Forces who have been involved? Because of the tactics of Daesh, the
:28:13. > :28:19.costs in infrastructure to the people of morsel has been great.
:28:20. > :28:24.Kenny outline what actions will be taking to improve infrastructure of
:28:25. > :28:25.morsel and to allow the return of refugees who have fled their in the
:28:26. > :28:40.past few years? We have seen an encouraging number
:28:41. > :28:42.of people returning to East Mosul in large numbers. Markets are reopening
:28:43. > :28:50.and schools are beginning to reopen as well. East Mosul, West Mosul has
:28:51. > :28:54.been much more badly damaged than East Mosul and there is a huge
:28:55. > :28:58.amount of reconstruction to be done there. That will be led through the
:28:59. > :29:03.United nation 's development programme, to their own coordinator,
:29:04. > :29:07.but we will be playing our part in that, both financially and in terms
:29:08. > :29:14.of the organisation of that rebuilding programme as well. RAF
:29:15. > :29:18.pilots and service personnel have played a vital role in this
:29:19. > :29:24.coalition campaign, particularly my constituents flying from RAF
:29:25. > :29:28.Coningsby. Does my right honourable friend join me in thanking my
:29:29. > :29:33.constituents who have taken part in the operation and can he explain
:29:34. > :29:37.please be vital role that the RAF plays in ensuring freedom of
:29:38. > :29:45.movement on the ground enabling Iraqi forces to combat Daesh? I am
:29:46. > :29:49.grateful to my honourable friend. It is right that we pay tribute to the
:29:50. > :29:53.RAF and not just the pilots, who are always mentioned on occasions like
:29:54. > :30:01.this, but the huge numbers of other members of the RAF, the aircrew,
:30:02. > :30:06.those who service the players and guard them and those involved in
:30:07. > :30:12.intelligence work, studying and preparing the targets. It has been a
:30:13. > :30:19.massive effort. We have seen the our area -- we have seen the RAAF work
:30:20. > :30:23.at its highest tempo for over a quarter of this entry. The role of
:30:24. > :30:28.the RAF has been huge. It is noticeable that of the strikes that
:30:29. > :30:32.were not conducted by the United States in Mosul, over 60% of them
:30:33. > :30:39.were conducted by the RAF and not by any other country, simply because of
:30:40. > :30:42.the precision of our pilots, the intelligence in targeting and the
:30:43. > :30:52.precision of the weapons chosen for each of those strikes, but the RAF
:30:53. > :31:01.will be involved in support as we see Daesh moving out of these areas.
:31:02. > :31:05.Can I join the secretary of state in paying tribute to the men and women
:31:06. > :31:12.of our Armed Forces and the civilians that support them. Since
:31:13. > :31:17.the last review took place, there has been a change to our national
:31:18. > :31:21.security context, a general election and a referendum where Britain has
:31:22. > :31:28.decided to leave the European Union. Plans to government now have two --
:31:29. > :31:35.what plans do the government have two conduct a strategic security
:31:36. > :31:43.review? The campaign in Iraq is not over and has many months to run. I
:31:44. > :31:46.expect British personnel to be involved until 2018, and the
:31:47. > :32:01.situation in Syria is even more complex. The last strategic review
:32:02. > :32:10.was 18 months ago. The threat it says -- the great it set out the...
:32:11. > :32:16.That review did not forecast the referendum of the result of the
:32:17. > :32:21.referendum. I don't think we can blame defence intelligence for that.
:32:22. > :32:25.A lot of people did not protect that event, but it was only 18 months ago
:32:26. > :32:33.and of course we will have a look and see whether any of it needs any
:32:34. > :32:40.kind of refresh. The role played by British Armed Forces in mentoring
:32:41. > :32:44.and training Iraqi forces has been critical. What plans do we have for
:32:45. > :32:51.continuing this support for the Iraqi military into the future? I am
:32:52. > :32:58.grateful to my honourable friend and I pay tribute to his own service. We
:32:59. > :33:01.are in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government. Everything we have
:33:02. > :33:07.been doing as part of this coalition has been with the authority and at
:33:08. > :33:11.the request an invitation of the Iraqi government and I would
:33:12. > :33:15.anticipate, although we have not been into these discussions, that
:33:16. > :33:20.they would welcome the continuance of the coalition's training effort
:33:21. > :33:30.and support in deed of air power until Daesh is completely eliminated
:33:31. > :33:35.from its borders. We all welcome the progress made in defeating Daesh in
:33:36. > :33:40.Mosul and Raqqa and pay tribute to the bravery and tenacity of the
:33:41. > :33:46.forces on the ground and in the air in liberating so many people from
:33:47. > :33:53.Daesh's yoke. The secretary of state in great detail the detail the
:33:54. > :34:01.effort the RAF makes to avoid civilian casualties. Is he satisfied
:34:02. > :34:11.that all of our partners in the air campaign on making the same effort
:34:12. > :34:16.to avoid civilian casualties? Well the RAF -- world there are different
:34:17. > :34:20.rules of engagement for each country involved in this particular
:34:21. > :34:25.campaign. It is perfectly true there have been targets offered discussed
:34:26. > :34:30.within the coalition that we have chosen not to take and not to strike
:34:31. > :34:37.because of the rules that we apply. So each country approaches this in a
:34:38. > :34:40.slightly different way. However, so far as air strikes are concerned,
:34:41. > :34:46.the principal air forces involved are all working together all in the
:34:47. > :34:52.same headquarters and we have seen the walls that have been applied
:34:53. > :34:57.coming closer together over the duration of the campaign. It is
:34:58. > :35:01.worth saying finally that it is not possible to liberate a densely
:35:02. > :35:05.populated city like Mosul without sadly civilian casualties. That is
:35:06. > :35:10.simply not possible in those casualties of course have been made
:35:11. > :35:15.much worse by Daesh's policy of holding civilians hostage in
:35:16. > :35:21.buildings, shooting people trying to escape and generally making the
:35:22. > :35:27.population continue to suffer. Elijah with the secretary of state
:35:28. > :35:31.in paying tribute to the Armed Forces and can he reassure me that
:35:32. > :35:38.he is working closely with my right honourable friend for Bedfordshire
:35:39. > :35:42.Northeast, whom we all welcome back to the front bench, and with our
:35:43. > :35:46.allies in the region to ensure that as Daesh is pushed back, its
:35:47. > :35:53.fighters are contained and not displaced to pop up elsewhere in the
:35:54. > :35:56.region? Yes, this is an increasing part of the work of the counter
:35:57. > :36:01.Daesh coalition in which I participate so far as the defence
:36:02. > :36:04.effort is concerned, but my right honourable friend the Foreign
:36:05. > :36:08.Secretary and my colleague the Minister for the Middle East
:36:09. > :36:13.participate in in terms of foreign policy. We work across the coalition
:36:14. > :36:19.to ensure we can share intelligence on returning fighters, that we can
:36:20. > :36:24.explore how the Daesh leadership can now be held properly to account, let
:36:25. > :36:30.us not forget those British hostages who were beheaded two or three years
:36:31. > :36:33.ago and that where possible, those who committed these most heinous
:36:34. > :36:43.crimes can now be brought to justice. With more Yazidi women
:36:44. > :36:45.being freed this week with the liberation of Mosul, I wonder if the
:36:46. > :36:52.Secretary of State could say something about the particular case
:36:53. > :36:57.of the Yazidis and whether the government can come to a conclusion
:36:58. > :37:02.as to whether the treatment by Daesh is genocide? We are continuing to
:37:03. > :37:10.look for more evidence, specifically in relation to the Yazidis. We are
:37:11. > :37:16.accumulating evidence across the board as well so that those who are
:37:17. > :37:18.eventually detained can be properly held to account and that is
:37:19. > :37:25.something we are working at across the coalition. Will my right
:37:26. > :37:34.honourable friend join me in paying particular tribute to the Kurdish
:37:35. > :37:37.Peshmerga services who made an outstanding contribution in the
:37:38. > :37:43.defeat of Daesh and can he confirm that we are giving them all the
:37:44. > :37:48.support in training and weaponry and also medical care for the wounded?
:37:49. > :37:54.Is there not a case to provide specialist care here in the UK for
:37:55. > :38:00.the most badly wounded? I know the Minister for the Middle East is
:38:01. > :38:07.looking at that specific point, but I would also like to pay tribute to
:38:08. > :38:12.them and what has been an all Iraq effort. There has not been a
:38:13. > :38:14.distinction as people feared. The campaign to liberate Mosul was
:38:15. > :38:26.conducted by agreement between the different parts of the Iraqi forces
:38:27. > :38:37.and has been done so successfully. We did our part in training the
:38:38. > :38:47.Peshmerga and we train them so that the number of casualties could be
:38:48. > :38:54.reduced. Can I welcome the secretary of state's statements and agree with
:38:55. > :39:01.him that part of, an important part of moving forward is to counter the
:39:02. > :39:04.ideology of Daesh. One of the most eloquent ways that can happen is by
:39:05. > :39:08.demonstrating through the reconstruction of Mosul and Raqqa
:39:09. > :39:12.through the establishments of law and order and security for the
:39:13. > :39:20.people who live there that there are better systems of governing than
:39:21. > :39:24.those provided by Isil? Absolutely and that must be central to the work
:39:25. > :39:29.of stabilisation and reconciliation, that we have a form of governance in
:39:30. > :39:34.Mosul and the Council there and the wider provincial government that is
:39:35. > :39:42.genuinely representative of all interest in Mosul, and Mosul is a
:39:43. > :39:45.very complexity. All those living there need a proper stake in its
:39:46. > :39:53.future and we don't see the kind of conditions emerge under which
:39:54. > :39:56.something like Daesh can flourish. I would like to join others in
:39:57. > :40:02.welcoming the statements from the Secretary of State today and the
:40:03. > :40:06.liberation of Mosul. But as Daesh is defeated, I wonder if the Secretary
:40:07. > :40:09.of State can explain what steps have been taken by government to deal
:40:10. > :40:16.with the threat of dangerous individuals who seek to return to
:40:17. > :40:20.the UK? Part of the work that is being done in the coalition is to
:40:21. > :40:27.recover sensitive material in both Mosul and Raqqa as the Civic
:40:28. > :40:30.Democratic forces move into Raqqa to recover the kind of sensitive
:40:31. > :40:34.material that will enable us to track down some particularly those
:40:35. > :40:40.British foreign fighters who have been based in either city, or indeed
:40:41. > :40:44.for a fighters in those cities who have been involved in external
:40:45. > :40:48.attack planning against the cities of western Europe. We are urgently
:40:49. > :40:51.trying to recover that material which will enable us to identify
:40:52. > :40:57.more of those who are involved in that kind of planning and therefore
:40:58. > :41:06.ensure that they are detained and properly held to account. On the
:41:07. > :41:09.same theme, the Minister, the Secretary of State referred to
:41:10. > :41:17.Interpol. We note that would-be capacity returnees from Iraq,
:41:18. > :41:20.welcome though the liberation of Mosul is, this does close challenge
:41:21. > :41:25.to our already overstretched intelligence and counterterrorism
:41:26. > :41:38.services. Camber secretary of the state of the house that he
:41:39. > :41:48.the government 's -- Camber Secretary of State tell the House
:41:49. > :41:54.that resources will be forthcoming. We are working with police forces
:41:55. > :41:56.across the region to share intelligence and we will have better
:41:57. > :42:01.information when they attempt to cross the border back into Western
:42:02. > :42:06.Europe and that we each understand how we are likely now to prosecute
:42:07. > :42:19.those who have been involved in the fighting. Will my honourable friend
:42:20. > :42:22.agreed that we should pay special tribute to the Kurdistan region
:42:23. > :42:27.because they are building democracy and they have a rule of law and they
:42:28. > :42:37.played a huge part in defeating Daesh. Can he guarantee that we will
:42:38. > :42:56.do everything to build the emerging democracy? : I congratulate my
:42:57. > :43:00.honourable friend for his election to the chair of the education
:43:01. > :43:09.committee. We want to see the economy of that region improve and
:43:10. > :43:18.the stability of the region improve. The future of Iraq in the end is for
:43:19. > :43:22.the Iraqi people to determine. The fact that there is currently no
:43:23. > :43:30.evidence that there has been a single civilian casualty from an RAF
:43:31. > :43:36.strike in this campaign is extraordinary and commendable, but
:43:37. > :43:41.further to the question that my right honourable friend asked, what
:43:42. > :43:48.influence can be UK Armed Forces play on some of our coalition
:43:49. > :43:52.partners where clearly the rules of engagement have been different and
:43:53. > :43:56.the civilian death toll has been higher.
:43:57. > :44:02.I was very careful, I hope, to remind the House that this is war.
:44:03. > :44:06.Whilst we do everything is a Coalition to try and minimise the
:44:07. > :44:11.risk of civilian casualties, it is not possible to eliminate the risk
:44:12. > :44:15.entirely when you are freeing or trying to free cities from this kind
:44:16. > :44:23.of terrorism. I was equally careful to say there is no evidence yet of
:44:24. > :44:28.an RAF strike. I'm not claiming that it might never be the case, but so
:44:29. > :44:35.far no evidence has been presented to us. We work across the Coalition
:44:36. > :44:40.with the other countries involved in air strikes to ensure that broadly
:44:41. > :44:51.we are applying the same rules of engagement and are selecting the
:44:52. > :45:10.same targets. Institutions like mosques and hospitals are on our no
:45:11. > :45:17.strike risks and so on. When you have investigated it, you want to
:45:18. > :45:22.try to publish the findings. When you have investigated it, you need
:45:23. > :45:29.to set out how it will be put right. The atrocities of Daesh have failed
:45:30. > :45:33.to deliver the so-called caliphate. As they are flushed out of morsel,
:45:34. > :45:41.they will convene in other parts of Iraq and Syria. We must recognise
:45:42. > :45:46.our military will continue to play a role in defeating Daesh for a
:45:47. > :45:54.considerable time to come. The military campaign is not over yet in
:45:55. > :46:02.Iraq or indeed in Syria. We have every interest in staying the course
:46:03. > :46:10.because we need to keep our country safe. There are people still in Iraq
:46:11. > :46:14.itself who wish as harm. We want to carry out -- in Raqqa itself. We
:46:15. > :46:21.must not rest until the threat is removed. We must pay attention to
:46:22. > :46:27.what the Iraqi authorities want and the scale of the training they may
:46:28. > :46:33.now require. It is good to see so many people joining for my question.
:46:34. > :46:37.I want to add my tribute to our amazing Armed Forces who have acted
:46:38. > :46:47.with bravery and dedication during this conflict. Given the special
:46:48. > :46:51.role the Army has played in training and the depth and breadth of
:46:52. > :46:55.complexity in operations the Army now faces in this theatre and around
:46:56. > :46:59.the world, with the Secretary of State agree with me this would be
:47:00. > :47:04.the wrong time to reduce the number of our regular army personnel? And
:47:05. > :47:08.grateful to the tribute EP to our Armed Forces. He will have heard
:47:09. > :47:13.earlier what I said on the issue of metallic recognition for this
:47:14. > :47:18.particular campaign. We have no plans to cut the size of our Army.
:47:19. > :47:26.Our manifesto commitment was clear. We will maintain the size of our
:47:27. > :47:30.Armed Forces. Thank you. The liberation of morsel is a very
:47:31. > :47:33.significant moment in our battle against Daesh. With the Secretary of
:47:34. > :47:38.State agree with me the real victory will be the creation of a modern
:47:39. > :47:42.Iraq a state which is capable of governing itself for all the people
:47:43. > :47:49.of Iraq and making sure that it resists any infiltration by Daesh as
:47:50. > :47:55.we clear it out of Iraqi territory? I absolutely agree. That kind of
:47:56. > :47:59.moderate Iraqi state my honourable friend aspires to would not only of
:48:00. > :48:03.course reduce any threat to our country but it would be good for the
:48:04. > :48:08.region and the stability of the region as well. Iraq is already a
:48:09. > :48:13.democracy, a fragile democracy, but it is a democracy. It has called on
:48:14. > :48:26.its friends and allies around the world. And I welcome the Minister's
:48:27. > :48:29.statement and thank him for his commitment and leadership and to our
:48:30. > :48:38.soldiers for the significant contribution they made to delivering
:48:39. > :48:47.the peace? Peshmerga have been out part of the forces defeating Daesh.
:48:48. > :48:52.They seek the release of monies held in Baghdad for reconstruction. In
:48:53. > :48:57.other words, to deliver the transition to new governance
:48:58. > :49:03.protecting the rights of everyone. With the Minister agree to these
:49:04. > :49:08.issues being done right away? I'm grateful for the personal words with
:49:09. > :49:12.which he began. There are discussions now under way between
:49:13. > :49:17.the Kurdish authorities and the authorities in Baghdad on precisely
:49:18. > :49:22.those issues. We encourage them. In the end, this has to be further our
:49:23. > :49:30.disputes of this Kangas has to be resolved the different parties. The
:49:31. > :49:42.progress militarily in morsel is welcome. But the poisonous ideology
:49:43. > :49:49.that underpins Isil still continues. What is happening about any of those
:49:50. > :49:54.who choose to return home so we can apprehend them and make sure they
:49:55. > :50:01.are not a danger to UK citizens? On the first point, we have not yet
:50:02. > :50:04.defeated the virtual caliphate. It is important we know across the
:50:05. > :50:10.Coalition intensify our efforts to destroy that caliphate in cyberspace
:50:11. > :50:16.as effectively as we are beginning to undermine it in Iraq itself.
:50:17. > :50:22.Sarfaraz Khan returning fighters are concerned, it is predominantly a
:50:23. > :50:27.matter for the Home Secretary. However, fighting and working for
:50:28. > :50:31.Daesh, it is a proscribed organisation, fighting for Daesh is
:50:32. > :50:37.a criminal offence. With those people can be properly prosecuted,
:50:38. > :50:45.they will be charged on their return. In December 2015, we were
:50:46. > :50:49.assured that with the support of UK in air strikes, we could expect to
:50:50. > :51:02.see a traditional government in Syria in six months and there were a
:51:03. > :51:10.ground troops ready to carry out operations? How many of those 70,000
:51:11. > :51:16.ground troops ever actually existed? Of course we want to see Syria moves
:51:17. > :51:21.towards a new political settlement and we continue to encourage that.
:51:22. > :51:25.So far as the existence of moderate armed opposition in Syria is
:51:26. > :51:30.concerned, I'm sure the honourable member understands this civil war
:51:31. > :51:34.would not be in its seventh year if there had not been formidable
:51:35. > :51:41.moderate armed opposition to the Syrian regime. Who does he think has
:51:42. > :51:44.been fighting Assad? But during this time, since December 2015, it is
:51:45. > :51:51.important to recognise the progress that has been made in reducing Daesh
:51:52. > :51:56.itself. In reducing the amount of Syrian territory that it holds, in
:51:57. > :52:03.starting the battle to defeat it in its capital in Raqqa and thus
:52:04. > :52:07.overall to reduce the threat that Daesh posies to the United Kingdom.
:52:08. > :52:10.And I'm only sorry that although we have the support of 67 other
:52:11. > :52:17.countries round-the-world trip we did not have the support of the
:52:18. > :52:20.Scottish National Party. Eye to welcome the Secretary of State's
:52:21. > :52:24.statement. I welcome his comment about reducing the risk in the
:52:25. > :52:28.number of civilian casualties. Perhaps the benefit of those who
:52:29. > :52:33.have just entered the chamber committee could repeat the number of
:52:34. > :52:37.civilian casualties and repeat his confirmation and assurance he will
:52:38. > :52:41.do all he can to reduce further such risks in future? And grateful to my
:52:42. > :52:47.honourable friend, but I'm not sure the Speaker would welcome me
:52:48. > :52:52.repeating a statement have already given. What I want to emphasise I
:52:53. > :52:58.believe it is because of the rules of engagement we set, because of the
:52:59. > :53:02.careful use of intelligence and reconnaissance from the air, because
:53:03. > :53:05.of the skill of our pilots and because of the precision of the
:53:06. > :53:09.weapons that are selected for each strike that we are able to say to
:53:10. > :53:16.the best of our knowledge we have not caused significant civilian
:53:17. > :53:22.casualties on the ground. Thank you. I'd like to join with the Secretary
:53:23. > :53:28.of State and members of all parties in praising the work of our men and
:53:29. > :53:39.women in all three services. Does he agree the important and prominent
:53:40. > :53:46.role played by the air force and navy highlights our important role
:53:47. > :53:49.in assisting United States? The US has led this Coalition and I was
:53:50. > :53:56.able to review the next steps in Iraq and Syria when I met the United
:53:57. > :54:00.States Defence Secretary in Washington last Friday. He and his
:54:01. > :54:05.predecessor played a key role in leading this Coalition. They are,
:54:06. > :54:10.like us, we want to see us move on in Iraq to the work of stabilisation
:54:11. > :54:18.and reconciliation that must follow the military campaign. I to pay
:54:19. > :54:28.tribute to all those who have served so diligently to make such progress.
:54:29. > :54:33.My honourable friend rightly mentioned in closing his statement
:54:34. > :54:36.today the determination we need to battle this warped ideology and make
:54:37. > :54:40.the long-term stability in the region. But what we assurance can
:54:41. > :54:45.give to my constituents and all communities across the UK that this
:54:46. > :54:51.government is determined to share intelligence through Brexit and
:54:52. > :54:59.beyond to keep us all safer? Absolutely. We have made it clear
:55:00. > :55:03.that beyond Brexit we want to continue the various arrangements
:55:04. > :55:06.there are four security cooperation across Europe, including
:55:07. > :55:10.coordination between our intelligence agencies and the work
:55:11. > :55:15.of police in tracking foreign fighters. It is only by working
:55:16. > :55:19.together that we can ensure that this ideology is defeated, not
:55:20. > :55:27.simply in Iraq but on the wider basis. I am returning to the
:55:28. > :55:30.question of the skill of our pilots in terms of avoiding civilian
:55:31. > :55:34.casualties wherever possible. Could you please confirm this extends down
:55:35. > :55:38.to the selection of hot and cold targets, so that targets can be
:55:39. > :55:43.changed even at the last moment to avoid those casualties? Well, yes,
:55:44. > :55:51.these are operational matters for decision by our commanders out in
:55:52. > :55:55.the Gulf. But these are things that they keep under review before each
:55:56. > :55:59.mission is planned and well each mission is being carried out. And we
:56:00. > :56:06.had evidence of that yesterday in the strikes that a pair of Tornado
:56:07. > :56:14.and typhoons together took in both Raqqa and morsel on the same day.
:56:15. > :56:22.Thank you. I welcome the Secretary of State's statement. Like him, I
:56:23. > :56:27.welcome the fact the RAF played a key role in defeating Daesh on the
:56:28. > :56:33.battlefield. My concern is that they will now become a real organisation.
:56:34. > :56:36.What support will be given to assist local forces to assist them with a
:56:37. > :56:51.gorilla War zone? In strengthening their police, not
:56:52. > :56:56.simply the military so they are better equipped to deal with the
:56:57. > :57:00.threat of insurgency when the final remnants of Daesh go underground,
:57:01. > :57:12.particularly in the Euphrates River Valley. Defeating Daesh in one of
:57:13. > :57:16.its time capital is is a key step in demolishing the myth of a caliphate.
:57:17. > :57:26.In the statement, he also refers to undermining positive ideology
:57:27. > :57:35.elsewhere -- poisonous ideology. Were working with colleagues in the
:57:36. > :57:47.Coalition to deal with the extremist ideology. Were working to counteract
:57:48. > :57:55.it in cyberspace, taking down messages posted in the air, and were
:57:56. > :57:58.working at home on steps to improve the de-radicalisation effort where
:57:59. > :58:03.extremism exists in colleges or in the mosques and elsewhere. We work
:58:04. > :58:05.with the Muslim community to make sure it is properly recognised and
:58:06. > :58:16.tackled. I'd like to ask the Secretary of
:58:17. > :58:23.State, the war against Daesh is a complex form of unconventional
:58:24. > :58:29.warfare, cyber, propaganda, whatever, can my right honourable
:58:30. > :58:35.friend ensure this war will be properly studied and lessons
:58:36. > :58:43.learned? There is a tendency to see unconventional warfare as a one-off
:58:44. > :58:47.but it is more becoming the norm? That is a very important point and I
:58:48. > :58:52.hope that is recognised in the strategic review we carried out in
:58:53. > :59:00.2015. This is a war that has had to be fought using the full spectrum of
:59:01. > :59:04.responses, fought predominantly by local forces but requiring a
:59:05. > :59:07.spectrum of responses across the political domains and it's very
:59:08. > :59:09.important that we recognise this may well become the kind