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Europe's Migrant Crisis; Critics Say Gulf States Not Doing Enough to Help Refugees; U.S. Warns Russia against Moves in Syria; Cameron Speaks to Parliament on European Migrant Crisis, ISIS. Aired 10-11 ET
Aired September 07, 2015 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
We begin in Europe, where the region is now reaching its tipping point as tens of thousands of migrants and refugees move through. E.U. leaders are
weighing in with new plans to hand over seemingly endless wave of men, women and children desperate to find shelter and a better life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE (voice-over): British Prime Minister David Cameron is due to speak in Parliament in about 30 minutes. He's expected to lay out details of his
plan to accept thousands more Syrian refugees into the U.K.
We will bring you Mr. Cameron's comments live as soon as they happen.
To Germany and Austria are warning they cannot keep taking in asylum seekers at the current pace. Since Saturday, more than 16,000 migrants and
refugees have arrived in Austria, most of them have continued on to Germany.
On Wednesday, the European Commission is expected to unveil its plan to relocate refugees among the E.U. nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pledging an additional $3.3 billion to the migrant crisis. She thanked Germans for their warm
reception of the thousands of people who have poured into Germany seeking asylum.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): What we are experiencing now is something that will occupy and change our country in
coming years. We want this change to be positive and we believe we can accomplish that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: French President Francois Hollande meanwhile says his country is ready to take in 24,000 refugees over the next two years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE (voice-over): During a news conference, he also said France will help attack the refugee problem at its source by getting involved in the
fight against ISIS in Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Jim Bittermann joins us now from Paris with the details.
And, Jim, 24,000 refugees that France will take in over two years is, of course, pales in comparison to Germany. But France also said it will
consider airstrikes in Syria.
What did Mr. Hollande say?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, you have to take a look at the numbers exactly, Lynda. And the fact is that what Francois Hollande
said this morning is that the European Union is planning on taking in 120,000 refugees, European wide.
And then based on the country's population, the unemployment rate and whatnot, that's going to be shared out in a mandatory fashion among the
European countries.
And for France, it comes out to 24,000. Already there's been some pushback from some countries who said -- say that this should not be made
compulsory.
And we'll see what happens Wednesday when Jean-Claude Juncker makes that statement, because the fact is that European Union could be in for another
crisis is some European Union members don't want to take in the refugees that they're supposed to take in under this plan.
Now Hollande also spelled out exactly how he believes France can help out the problem in the best way.
First and foremost, of course, taking in refugees; secondly, he believes the country should do more to support the 4 million refugees that are
already outside the combat and conflict area, who are in Turkey and Jordan and other parts of the Middle East, that they should do more to help the
camps and help the people, the refugees that are there.
And then the third thing he said is to strike the problem at its source, go after ISIS militarily.
Now up until now, France has been making attacks along with the coalition in Iraq. But for the first time he said that France will begin
reconnaissance flights into ISIS targets in Syria.
Here's the way he changed the policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): As of tomorrow, there will be reconnaissance flights together with the coalition
because it is the condition for us to have the ability to intervene in this form.
And then according to the intelligence that we will obtain and the intelligence that (INAUDIBLE) connected and the reconnaissance, we will be
ready to carry out strikes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BITTERMANN: So in fact they're actually planning the strikes but they want to have the reconnaissance flights first to see how that works out.
Hollande ruled out, by the way, this morning, any idea that ground troops would be sent into the area -- Lynda.
KINKADE: And, Jim, just like the warm welcome we've seen in countries like Germany, there are, of course, right-wing, anti-immigration activists who
fear that a million people who are largely Muslim in Germany, a predominantly Christian country, will create a problem.
Just tell us where public opinion fits in France.
BITTERMANN: Well, it's not very much in favor of the refugees, that's for sure. Up until the recent media attention about the refugee problem --
[10:05:00]
BITTERMANN: -- about 64 percent of the French said that they were opposed to accepting any more refugees.
Now that number has been dropping since we saw the kind of graphic examples of the refugee problem in the media. Now, according to the most recent
poll over the weekend, it's about 51 percent. But that's still a majority, more than a majority of the French, who don't believe more refugees should
be accepted.
So Francois Hollande is going to face headwinds on this issue perhaps at the ballot box in a couple of years. But for the moment, he -- I think he
feels like it's the right thing to do and so he's going to do it -- Lynda.
KINKADE: OK, Jim Bittermann in Paris, thank you very much.
Now let's get more details on the U.K. reaction. Our Phil Black joins us now from Westminster in London.
Phil, over the last few days, Prime Minister David Cameron there said the U.K. would take in thousands more.
Can we expect him to be more specific about refugee numbers when he addresses Parliament?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's certainly what we'll be listening for, Lynda, precisely the details of this new shift in government policy.
What makes this so interesting is that this is a government changing its policy because that policy has recently been overtaken by public will,
public feeling.
This is a government that has always talked pretty tough on immigration and tried to earn support in doing so, including when it comes to issues
involving asylum seekers and refugees.
But recently, noticeably over the last week, the images, the stories, the headlines, all of things that the people here have been consuming, watching
these people, these Syrian people make their way across Europe, that has really changed the feeling among the British people to believe that they
need to do more.
They need to help more, that they're not doing enough to live up to that perceived moral obligation.
So that has created pressure on the government and that brings us to today, where the prime minister is expected to outline a new policy. I think no
one here is expecting to try and mimic Germany; they are not going to throw open the borders. They are not suddenly going to welcome 800,000 people.
More likely is that U.K. will not assent to assist more of the people who have already made it to Europe but widen its existing policy, which targets
the most vulnerable refugees already in the region, that is, those who have left Syria but are still likely in countries neighboring that.
There is a policy but it's pretty limited. It's only helped and relocated a little over 200 people since it was introduced here in January last year
-- Lynda.
KINKADE: It's, as you mentioned, the U.K. won't take refugees that are already within Europe but from neighboring countries around Syria. So
essentially it won't address the influx within Europe?
BLACK: Well, there's still a view, I think, that this government needs to walk a very delicate political balance. On one hand, there is shift in
public support and this desire to do more, to help more.
But this government will be sensitive of the possibility that if it welcomes too many people, that if it seen to be a soft touch when it comes
to securing its borders, the big numbers come in, it could cost a lot of money. It could put great stress on public and government services, like
health and housing. There could, in that eventuality, be a backlash.
And indeed, also within the government, there is a very strong view that if you make it too easy for migrants, refugees to travel here, that that will
encourage more to do so. That means more people taking the very dangerous journey, likely more will die and there are members of this government who
believe very strongly that is not good for those individuals nor is it good for Britain, either -- Lynda.
KINKADE: A fair point. Phil Black in London, thank you very much. We'll talk to you again when David Cameron addresses Parliament.
The E.U. foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, says the migrant crisis is urgent and requires action. In an exclusive interview, she spoke with
our chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEDERICA MOGHERINI, E.U. HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Sometimes even political leaders need, let's say, an emotional push, which
is sad, in my opinion. But if we do not manage to act united and fast in front of these tragedies, in front of these human tragedies, then what
would move more courageous decisions, if not this?
The point is that people die, children die, women die at sea and at land even when we don't see the pictures. We should remember that this is a
tragedy that is going on now for years; it's going to stay probably for the next coming months and years. And we'd better face it rationally.
KINKADE (voice-over): And you can see the rest of Christiane's interview with Federica Mogherini on "AMANPOUR." That's tonight at 7 o'clock in
London.
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KINKADE: The border between Serbia and Hungary is fast becoming another front line in the migrant crisis. Hungary built a wire fence that has
stemmed the flood of asylum seekers, making their way into the passport- free --
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KINKADE: -- E.U. travel zone. But with thousands more expected to try to make this crossing, continued tension at the border is expected in the days
ahead.
As you've been there from the start, CNN's Arwa Damon is on the front line of the crisis and she joins us now from Hungary-Serbian border.
Arwa, this seems to be another flash point right now, a lot of tension we've seen over the last few hours.
How are things looking now?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's still pretty tense and incredibly grim, that fence and wall that Hungary have been
building have not really stemmed the flow of migrants and refugees.
What they've done is just funnel them through a specific crossing point and that crossing point is here.
What you see in front of you is people who are fed up with the conditions that they have been having to endure to wait in for days before they're
moved from this holding area onto the transit camp they've been living in the fields that are just absolutely covered with trash. And there are only
a handful of tents. And it gets quite cold at night.
So people today began staging this sit-in here because they say that they want to be let through. They're tired of waiting for the buses. One of
the transit camps is just a 10-minute walk down the road. And they're hoping that this will put some sort of pressure on the authorities that
will eventually allow them to go through.
These are people that have already been through a very arduous and long journey. And having to wait out in this field with little to no shelter,
it getting incredibly cold at night, there is only a tiny bit of aid being distributed by a local Hungarian non-profit. These are not conditions they
can deal with, that they can cope with anymore at this stage.
And earlier, there were some scuffles that did break out between the refugees and the police force. This is the path that they come down. They
follow these train tracks from Serbia all the way into Hungary, a bit quiet right now, but throughout the day, you do see these massive waves of people
coming through.
So even though we have seen these emergency measures being put into place by Austria and Hungary to try to ease the -- by Austria and Germany to try
to ease the pressure on Hungary, the problem is the numbers coming through are not stopping.
And there has to be -- or what we're seeing here really underscores the need for this -- there has to be that long-term solution that is put into
place because these people that are coming across like this, they cannot deal with these situations anymore.
KINKADE: No, absolutely dire situation. Arwa Damon, thank you so much for your reporting. We will talk to you soon.
Still to come, a dangerous crossing, desperate migrants risking their lives to reach Greece, their boat nearly sinks. Find out who came to their
rescue.
Also ahead, Gulf nations now facing pointed questions for their roles in helping the refugee crisis or lack thereof. All that and much more here at
the INTERNATIONAL DESK.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
Italy is one of the main entry points for thousands of migrants and refugees who are trying to get to Europe by sea. And it's a dangerous
journey. The Italian coast guard is search for as many as 20 migrants who are missing after their boat capsized on Sunday. It rescued 107 people off
the coast of Lampedusa.
Greece is another main entry point into the European Union and the crossing by sea from Turkey can be just as dangerous. Senior international
correspondent Ivan Watson is in Bodrum, Turkey, and, Ivan, the image of a small boy washed up on the shores of Turkey really resonated with people
around the world.
But it's a sight that's been repeated time and time again, the lucky ones, if we can even call them that, are being rescued. And you've witnessed
those rescues.
What can you tell us?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Turkey has long been a transit point for people trying to get into Europe.
But Turkish authorities say that the number of refugees and migrants trying to make the perilous journey from this unlikely point of embarkation --
it's a posh Turkish coastal resort, the peninsula of Bodrum, the number of people trying to make the journey to nearby Greece, to the island of Kos,
has surged this year.
The Turkish government says that they've rescued more than 48,000 people trying to make the sea crossing from here and from other points along the
coast to Greece, over the course of the last year.
And the death toll according to the Turkish government at least 70 people died as a result of this perilous journey. I think that some of the rescue
workers that I talked overnight estimate that those numbers may, in fact, be much, much higher.
But we watched as volunteers and the Turkish coast guard tried to save people who are undeterred by the risk of drowning at sea, people that are
hoping for some kind of physical or economic security across the Channel in Europe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON (voice-over): Under the spotlight of a Turkish coast guard cutter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see -- you see the refugees?
WATSON (voice-over): -- the silhouettes of more than 20 people stranded in a rubber boat. They are desperate, frightened, but tonight luckily saved
by volunteers from the Bodrum Sea Rescue Association, who work alongside the Turkish coast guard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not all together. Wait. Wait.
WATSON (voice-over): Among the passengers rescued, five little children. Just four days after the world was shocked by photographs of a Syrian
refugee toddler who drowned at sea, these people have embarked on the exact same perilous journey.
They set off from the Turkish resort peninsula of Bodrum in hope of reaching the Greek island of Kos. Instead of drifting at sea with a failed
engine, these people will be brought back safely to Turkey.
The beaches below Bodrum's villas and posh resorts, an unlikely launching point for tens of thousands of refugees and migrants, willing to risk
everything to reach Europe.
Under the light of the crescent moon, we witness another attempt at a crossing.
WATSON: It's after 2:00 am and we've encountered another little rubber dinghy loaded with people. They're actually paddling in the direction of
Greece. It's incredibly overloaded, this little boat. It's an accident waiting to happen.
WATSON (voice-over): To make matters worse, some wear heavy backpacks over their life jackets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The coast guard is coming.
WATSON (voice-over): Before possible disaster strikes, the coast guard comes to the rescue. Tonight, they fail to reach Greece but they will live
another day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATSON: So, Lynda, who are these refugees, these migrants? Turkish authorities here say it's a real international mix. There are refugees
from the conflicts in Iran and Syria, people from Afghanistan.
They also say that there are Pakistani nationals, people from as far away as Myanmar or Burma.
Now the Turkish government has issued an appeal, saying please, do not make this dangerous journey. You could die doing this. We've talked to some
Syrian refugees who said I have endured years in Syria of barrel bombs, of airstrikes by the Syrian government --
[10:20:00]
WATSON: -- of militant jihadis who've threatened execution against people who don't follow their strict interpretation of Islam.
So I'm not afraid of perhaps losing my life at sea to try to get to Europe. SO clearly undeterred by the threat of drowning.
Some of the Turkish rescue workers I talked to, they say in one case, they have rescued the same Syrian woman at least three times after she washed up
on an island, after she and her husband were stricken and stranded on a boat out at sea and she gets rescued, brought back to Turkey and then so
committed to trying to make this journey, has gone back out again only to be rescued once again.
That gives you a sense of how determined some of these people are and what a big challenge they present for authorities in the very different
countries along their path, along their journey -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Quite incredible, despite those dangers, it's a risk they're willing to take. Ivan Watson, in Bodrum, Turkey, thank you very much.
A new report says Slovakia is pushing back against any E.U. attempt to set up how many refugees each country should accept. According to Reuters news
agency, the interior ministry says the Slovak government should be able to decide how many asylum seekers it lets in.
The country has said it will accept 200 refugees but it would prefer them to be Christians.
Gulf Arab states are coming under sharp criticism for not doing enough to help. They are providing plenty of cash but have no plans to actually take
in refugees. Becky Anderson has more from Abu Dhabi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Exhausted and drained, but determined to make it, most are marching towards Germany, where they are
being welcomed with open arms. The majority are Syrian and have traveled thousands of miles in search of a better life, often paying the ultimate
price.
And now, questions being raised about why these people fleeing war couldn't find suitable refuge closer to home, namely in rich Arab Gulf countries
that could afford to house them.
The uproar has gained momentum on social media. Images like these were widely circulated, with hashtags such as #WelcomingSyriasRefugees as a Gulf
duty, calling on leaders to do more. And the U.N. has voiced its concerns.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: And that is why we have been asking, that not only the borders of the region are opened but
that all of the borders, special in the developed world are also open.
And this is true in Europe. It is true in the Gulf. It's true everywhere where countries have the capacity to receive some Syrians and to integrate
them in their societies.
ANDERSON (voice-over): There more than 4 million Syrian refugees in the region. But according to Amnesty International, six Gulf countries haven't
offered any resettlement locations to the refugees. They have been giving money, though, and lots of it.
Since the war broke out, Kuwait alone has donated almost $1 billion to the U.N. to help Syrians, making it the fifth largest donor worldwide.
ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLA, RETIRED PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF UAE: There is a lot the Arab Gulf states have done that has not been
recognized by the international community. I don't think anybody, any country, any state have helped the Syrian refugees more so than the Arab
Gulf states.
ANDERSON (voice-over): But Gulf countries don't recognize refugees as they are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
So anyone who wants to enter has to meet standard visa requirements, which tens of thousands of Syrians do. And there are security concerns about
hosting large populations from Arab states.
ABDULLA: Having the refugees feeds into ISIS' appeal and it feeds into the violence in the region, which is already the most violent region on Earth.
So all in all, anything that goes in the neighborhood impacts the security and the stability of the Arab Gulf States, who are by far the most stable
and the most secure of all Arab countries.
ANDERSON: We have spoken to officials here in the UAE, who say that they have given almost half a billion dollars, citing their efforts to help
Syrians in Jordan and in Iraq as examples.
ANDERSON (voice-over): For the moment, it seems the money will continue but the doors are staying closed -- Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Still to come, concerns for over reports of Russian military involvement in Syria. The U.S. says Vladimir Putin could complicate the
fight against ISIS. Those details just ahead.
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KINKADE: Welcome back.
A Palestinian woman has died from burns she suffered in an arson attack on her home in the West Bank.
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KINKADE (voice-over): Her boy was taken to the West Bank to the funeral today. The woman's 18-month-old son was killed in the July attack and her
husband died a week later.
The U.N. official criticized Israel's lack of progress in identifying and prosecuting any suspects in the case. The attack was blamed on Jewish
extremists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The U.S. is warning Russia against a military buildup in Syria. Reports suggest Moscow is increasing its presence in the war-torn country.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his concerns to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend.
Our Matthew Chance is following the developments and joins us now from Moscow.
Matthew, the U.S. secretary of state warned that this could create all sorts of problems but Russia is denying that it's building up a military
presence.
What is Moscow saying about its discussions with the Assad regime?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's saying that -- it's not denying that it has a close political and military
relationship with Syria and with the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
And in fact, it said it believes that supporting the Syrian government is the best ay to fight what it calls international terrorism, by ISIS on the
ground in Syria.
And it's been a big proponent of trying to build an international coalition which would include the Syrian government to combat ISIS and other rebel
groups, something that's been dismissed by the United States and its allies because they don't want to see Assad in power.
But you know, the fact that this -- these reports have been raised by John Kerry, U.S. secretary of state, and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov,
did what are still unconfirmed rumors, a degree of credibility and what we're talking about is actually a report which appeared on an Israeli
website last week, quoting unnamed Western diplomats, saying that a Russian expeditionary force is already arrived in Syria to prepare for the
deployment of what it called a Russian aerial contingent, Russian fighter jets, attack helicopters, according to the report, would be used to strike
against ISIS targets in Syria.
So what the reports are saying is that there's a big upswing in the amount of military activity on the part of Russia and in Syria and, again, that's
something the Kremlin is denying.
KINKADE: OK. Matthew Chance in Moscow, thank you very much for that update.
Thousands of migrants arrive in Austria after a grueling journey. But for most it's not the final stop. We'll have more from Vienna's train station
just ahead.
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KINKADE: We're going to take you now to British Parliament, where the prime minister, David Cameron, is speaking about the migrant crisis. Let's
listen in.
DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER, GREAT BRITAIN: -- so far this year. These people came from different countries under different circumstances. Some
are economic migrants in search of a better life in Europe.
Many are refugees fleeing conflict. And it is vital to distinguish between the two.
In recent weeks we have seen a vast increase in the numbers arriving across the Eastern Mediterranean from Turkey -- more than 150,000 people have
attempted that route since January. The majority of these are Syrian refugees -- fleeing the terror of Assad and ISIL, which has seen more than
11 million people driven from their homes.
Mr. Speaker, the whole country has been deeply moved by the heartbreaking images we have seen over the past few days. And it is absolutely right
that Britain should fulfill its moral responsibility to help those refugees, just as we have done so proudly throughout our history.
But in doing so we must use our head and our heart by pursuing a comprehensive approach that tackles the causes of the problem as well as
the consequences.
That means helping to stabilize countries where the refugees are coming from; seeking a solution to the crisis in Syria; pushing for the formation
of a new unity government in Libya; busting the criminal gangs who are profiting from this human tragedy and playing our part in saving lives in
the Mediterranean, where our Royal Navy has now rescued over 6,700 people.
Mr. Speaker, Britain is doing and will continue to do all of these things.
We are using our aid budget to alleviate poverty and suffering in the countries from which these people are coming.
We are the only major country in the world that has kept our promise to spend 0.7 percent of our GDP on aid.
We are already the second largest bilateral donor of aid to the Syrian conflict, including providing over 18 million food rations, giving 1.6
million access to clean water and providing education to a quarter of a million children.
And last week we announced a further 100 million pounds, taking our total contribution to over 1 billion pounds -- that is the U.K.'s largest ever
response to a humanitarian crisis. Sixty million pounds of this additional funding will go to help Syrians still in Syria.
The rest will go to neighboring countries -- to Turkey, to Jordan, to Lebanon -- where Syrian refugees now account for one-quarter of the
population. And over half of this new funding will support children, with a particular priority on those who have been orphaned or separated from
their families.
Mr. Speaker, no other European country has come close to this level of support. Without Britain's aid to these camps, the numbers attempting the
dangerous journey to Europe would be very much higher. And as my right honorable friend the chancellor said yesterday, we will now go much further
in the spending review, significantly reshaping the way we use our aid budget to serve our national interest.
We will invest even more in tackling the causes of the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa. And we will hold much larger sums in reserve to
respond to acute humanitarian crises as they happen.
Turning to the question of refugees, Britain already works with the U.N. to deliver resettlement programs and we will accept thousands more under these
existing schemes.
We have already provided sanctuary to more than 5,000 Syrians in Britain and have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we
already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.
But given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the Syrian people, it is right that we should do much more.
So Mr. Speaker, we are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees over the rest of this Parliament. In doing so, we will
continue to show the world that this country is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.
So Mr. Speaker, Britain will play its part alongside our other European partners. But because we are not part of -- this is important -- because
we're not part of the E.U.'s borderless Schengen agreement or its relocation initiative, Britain is able to decide its own approach.
So we will continue -- we will continue with our approach of taking refugees --
[10:35:00]
CAMERON: -- from the camps and from elsewhere in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the
United Kingdom, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe, which has tragically cost so many lives.
We will continue to use the established UNHCR process for identifying and resettling refugees and when they arrive here we will grant them a five-
year humanitarian protection visa. And we will significantly expand the criteria we use for our existing Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation
scheme.
As we do so, we will recognize that children have been particularly badly affected by the crisis in Syria. Mr. Speaker, in most cases, the interests
of children are best met in the region where they can remain close to surviving family members.
But in cases where the advice of the UNHCR is that their needs should be met by resettlement here in the U.K., we will ensure that vulnerable
children, including orphans, will be a priority.
Mr. Speaker, over recent days, we have seen councils and our devolved administrations coming forward to express their willingness to do more to
take Syrian refugees. This has reflected a wider generosity from families and communities across our country. And I commend in particular the
Archbishop of Canterbury for the offer made by the Church of England.
My right honorable friends, the home secretary and the community secretary, will now work intensively with local authorities and the devolved
administrations to put in place the necessary arrangements to house and support the refugees that we resettle.
And the home secretary will update the house on these plans next week.
Finally, on this part of the statement, in full accordance with internationally agreed rules, we will ensure that the full cost of
supporting thousands of Syrian refugees in the U.K. will be met through our aid spending for the first year, easing the burden on local communities.
Mr. Speaker, this will be a truly national effort and I know the whole house will come together in supporting these refugees in their hour of
need.
Now, Mr. Speaker, turning to our national security, I would like to update the house on action taken this summer to protect our country from a
terrorist attack.
Mr. Speaker, with the rise of ISIL, we know the terrorist threats to our country are growing. In 2014, there were 15 ISIL-related attacks around
the world. This year, there have already been 150 such attacks, including the appalling tragedies in Tunisia, in which 31 Britons lost their lives.
And I can tell the house that our police and security services have stopped at least six different attempts to attack the U.K. in the last 12 months
alone.
Mr. Speaker, the threat picture facing Britain in terms of Islamist extremist violence is more acute today than ever before. In stepping up
our response to meet this threat, we have developed a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that seeks to prevent and disrupt plots against
this country at every stage.
It includes new powers to stop suspects traveling. It includes powers to enable our police and security services to apply for stronger locational
constraints on those in the U.K. who pose a risk. It addresses the root cause of the threat -- the poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism -- by
taking on all forms of extremism, not just violent extremism.
We have pursued Islamist terrorists through the courts and the criminal justice system. Since 2010, over 800 people have been arrested and 140
successfully prosecuted.
And our approach includes acting overseas to tackle the threat at source with British aircraft delivering nearly 300 airstrikes over Iraq and our
airborne intelligence and surveillance assets have assisted our coalition partners with their operations over Syria.
As part of this counterterrorism strategy, as I have said before, if there is a direct threat to the British people and we are able to stop it by
taking immediate action, then as Prime Minister, I will always be prepared to take that action -- and that's the case whether the threat is emanating
from Libya, from Syria or from anywhere else.
But Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks it has been reported that two ISIL fighters of British nationality, who had been plotting attacks against the
U.K. and other countries, have been killed in airstrikes. Both Junaid Hussain and Reyaad Khan were British nationals based in Syria, who were
involved in actively recruiting ISIL sympathizers and seeking to orchestrate specific and barbaric attacks against the West, including
directing a number of planned terrorist attacks right here in Britain, such as plots to attack high-profile public commemorations, including those
taking place this summer.
We should be under no illusion. Their intention was the murder of British citizens. So on this occasion we ourselves took action.
[10:40:00]
Today I can inform the house that, in an act of self-defense and after meticulous planning, Reyaad Khan was killed in a precision airstrike
carried out on the 21st of August by an RAF remotely piloted aircraft while he was travelling in a vehicle in the area of Raqqa in Syria.
In addition to Reyaad Khan, who was the target of the strike, two ISIL associates were also killed, one of whom, Ruhul Amin, has been identified
as a U.K. national. They were ISIL fighters and I can confirm there were no civilian casualties.
Mr. Speaker, we took this action because there was no alternative. In this area, there is no government we can work with. We have no military on the
ground to detain those preparing plots. And there was nothing to suggest that Reyaad Khan would ever leave Syria or desist from his desire to murder
us at home.
So we had no way of preventing his planned attacks on our country without taking direct action.
The U.S. administration has also confirmed that Junaid Hussain was killed in an American airstrike on the 24th of August in Raqqa.
With these issues of national security and with current prosecutions ongoing, the house will appreciate there are limits on the details I can
provide.
However, Mr. Speaker, let me set out for the house the legal basis for the action we took, the processes we followed and the implications of this
action on our wider strategy in countering the threat of ISIL.
First, I am clear that the action we took was entirely lawful. The attorney general was consulted and was clear there would be a clear legal
basis for action in international law.
We were exercising the U.K.'s inherent right to self-defense. There was clear evidence of the individuals in question planning and directing armed
attacks against the U.K. These were part of a series of actual and foiled attempts to attack the U.K. and our allies.
And in the prevailing circumstances in Syria, the airstrike was the only feasible means of effectively disrupting the attacks planned and directed
by this individual. So it was necessary and proportionate for the individual self-defense for the United Kingdom.
The United Nations Charter requires members to inform the president of the Security Council of activity conducted in self-defense. And today the U.K.
permanent representative to the United Nations will write to the president of the Security Council to do just that.
Turning to the process, as I said to the house in September last year -- and I quote -- "It is important to reserve the right that, if there were a
critical British national interest at stake or there were the need to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, you could act immediately and
explain to the House of Commons afterwards."
Mr. Speaker, our intelligence agencies identified the direct threat to the U.K. from this individual. They informed me and other senior ministers of
this threat. At a meeting of the most senior members of the National Security Council, we agreed that, should the right opportunity arise, then
military action should be taken.
Th5tended the meeting and confirmed there was a legal basis for action. And on that basis, the defense secretary authorized the operation.
The strike was conducted according to specific military rules of engagement, which always comply with international law and the principles
of proportionality and military necessity.
The military assessed the target location and chose the optimum time to minimize the risk of civilian casualties. This was a very sensitive
operation to prevent a very real threat to our country. And I have come to the house today to explain in detail what has happened and to answer
questions about it.
Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that this strike was not part of coalition military action against ISIL in Syria. It was a targeted strike to deal
with a clear, credible and specific terrorist threat to our country at home.
The position with regard to the wider conflict with ISIL in Syria has not changed. As the house knows, I believe there is a strong case for the U.K.
taking part in airstrikes as part of the international coalition to target ISIL in Syria as well as Iraq.
And I believe that case only grows stronger with the growing number of terrorist plots being directed or inspired by ISIL's core leadership in
Raqqa.
But I have been absolutely clear that the government will return to this house for a separate vote if we propose to join coalition strikes in Syria.
Mr. Speaker, my first duty as prime minister is to keep the British people safe. That is what I will always do. There was a terrorist directing
murder on our streets and no other means to stop him. This government does not for one moment take these decisions lightly.
But I am not prepared to stand here in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on our streets and have to explain to the house why I did not take the
chance to prevent it, when I could have done.
That is why I believe our approach is right.
And I commend this statement to the House.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harriet Harman.
[10:45:00]
HARRIET HARMAN, ACTING BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can I thank the prime minister for his statement and start first by asking about the refugee crisis?
When a country decides how to respond to the plight of others from outside, that's a moment when a nation becomes clear about who it is and what it
stands for. And this is one such defining moment.
Is our national priority to keep people out at all costs or to give sanctuary to those fleeing from their homes?
Is being British to be narrow, inward-looking, fearful of the outside world or is it about being strong and confident and proud to reach out to those
seeking refuge on our shores?
Mr. Speaker, it must be the latter.
And can we not talk about refugees as a burden on us?
Among the Syrian children, we take in now, will be the future consultants at our hospital bedsides, the entrepreneurs who will build our economy, the
professors in our universities and those who are amongst the strongest upholders of British values because that has been the story of refugees to
this country, whether it's the Jewish children of the Kindertransport, the Asian families driven out of East Africa 20 years later or the Sierra
Leoneans fleeing a brutal civil war.
The prime minister said last week that it won't help to take more refugees because it won't solve the problem in Syria. But that was a false choice.
Helping those Jewish children was not part of our efforts to end the Second World War. Helping the East African families didn't bring down the brutal
dictatorships in East Africa.
But it was the right thing to do.
Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to take more time rehearsing criticisms of the government's response to date. But I want to ask the prime minister about
what's going to be done now.
He said that this country will not accept 20,000 Syrian refugees over this Parliament.
How many will it be this year?
The crisis is immediate.
Does that mean it's just 4,000 this year?
I think we need more information on that.
Will he now urgently convene local authority leaders from all around the country to hear from them what they are prepared and able to do to settle
those refugees into their area and how much further they can go?
Many local authorities are keen to step forward and play their part. And that is greatly to their credit. They will need additional resources,
particularly at a time when they are undergoing unprecedented cuts.
The government has said that they're planning to use the international aid budget for this.
Will he say whether that is compliant with our commitment to 0.7 percent?
And why, in any event, doesn't he use the reserves for this purpose?
Mr. Speaker, it's not just the issue of immediate resettlement; there is also integration.
Will he establish and publish a proper integration plan?
The refugee crisis is not just an issue for local government or even just the home office but also for transport, education, health, the foreign
office, biz and the devolved authorities of Scotland and Wales.
What discussions has he had with the first minister of Scotland and the first minister of Wales on this?
And will he convene COBRA (ph) to establish a cross-governmental plan?
Mr. Speaker, desperate conditions in the refugee camps are what's driving many of those who risk their lives trying to bring their families to
Europe. We strongly support our aid already being provided to the refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. And it remains a concern that the
prime minister is not coordinating his response more broadly with other European countries or with the U.N.
Won't he reconsider his refusal to take any refugees from the Southern European countries, where most refugees have arrived?
Fifty thousand have come to Greece in the course of just one month. These refugees, too, also need help.
It's clear that Europe has been overwhelmed and is without a plan.
So will he call for an emergency summit of E.U. leaders?
We have a lot to learn from those countries that are already involved on the process of resettling refugees.
So will he join me in thanking Dame Glenis Willmott MEP for ensuring that this will be debated in the European parliament this Wednesday?
Turning to the government's action on counterterrorism, no one should be in any doubt about the scale of the threat posed by ISIL. We have witnessed
their brutal torture and murder of British citizens abroad and the sickening --
[10:50:00]
HARMAN: -- attacks they've inspired and are seeking to organize here at home.
Mr. Speaker, the security services and our armed forces do immensely important work to keep us safe, a task which is difficult and dangerous and
we thank them for what they do.
I thank the prime minister for briefing me and the shadow foreign secretary this morning, which was the first time we learnt of the specific operation
of the 21st of August of which he has just informed the house. The prime minister has told the house today that in order to protect the safety of
our citizens here at home, the government has authorized the targeting and killing of a man, a British citizen, in Syria, a country where our military
force is not authorized.
Will he confirm that this is the first occasion in modern times that this has been done?
The prime minister said in his statement that there was a meeting of senior members of the National Security Council, which agreed that, should the
right opportunity arise, then the military should take action and that the attorney general, who was at the meeting, confirmed that there was, and I
quote, "a legal basis for action."
The prime minister has said that this is legally justifiable under the Doctrine of National Self-Defense because the man was planning and
directing armed attacks in the U.K.; there was no other way of stopping him and the action was necessary and proportionate.
Bearing in mind that the sufficiency of evidence as to each of these points is crucial to the justification for this action, why didn't the attorney
general authorize this specific action rather than merely, and I quote, "confirming that there was a legal basis for it"?
Was the attorney general's advice given or confirmed in writing and will it be published?
The prime minister said.
The prime minister said.
The prime minister said in his statement that the defense secretary authorized the operation.
Why was it not the prime minister himself?
I want to ask him about the specific target of this attack and inasmuch as he can disclose to the house, can he say what was it about this individual
and his actions that singled him out from all that has gone before?
Did he represent an ongoing threat?
Or was the threat based on a specific act he was plotting?
Can the prime minister tell the house whether this action by our military is an isolated one or is he saying that the government is likely to repeat
this sort of action in the future?
Above all, will he agree with me that there is a need for independent scrutiny of what the government has done here?
Can I ask him to request the counterterrorism reviewer and the Intelligence and Security Committee to investigate this action and, in particular, to
look at the sufficiency of the evidence?
Mr. Speaker, we are already engaged in the use of force against ISIL in Iraq. It is vital that the U.K. continue to play its part in international
efforts to combat ISIL across the region.
The prime minister said in his statement that if he proposed to join coalition strikes in Syria, he will return to this house for a vote of
authorization.
Can I reiterate the position as set out by myself (sic) and the shadow secretary of state for defense on the 2nd of July, namely ISIL brutalize
people. They murder people and they are horrifically oppressive. We will carefully consider any proposals in relation to military action in Syria
that the government brings forward.
But we all need to be clear about what difference any action would make to our objective of defeating ISIL, about the nature of any action its
objectives and the legal basis and potential action must command the support of other nations in the region, including Iraq and the coalition
already taking action in Syria.
I thank the honorable lady for her response.
CAMERON: And first of all, let me agree with her about the contribution refugees who come to Britain have made to our country, thinking of Jewish
refugees from Europe, thinking about the Ugandan Asians, who made an immense contribution to our country. And I know that these people will,
too.
Let me also agree with her that, as I said, there isn't a number of refugees you can take that will solve the problem of Syria. It's about
meeting our humanitarian responsibilities and demonstrating this is a country which is with a moral conscience and a moral way in the world,
which is why we are one of the countries that's not only taking refugees but is meeting our aid targets in a way that other major countries aren't.
She asked about the 20,000 and how many we can take in this year. Obviously, we want to get on with this process. It will depend in part on
how well UNHCR can do with processing --
[10:55:00]
CAMERON: -- people in the camps to come to the U.K. Checks obviously have to be made about the people that we'll be receiving.
We also want to work, as she says, very closely with local authorities so the capacity to receive people, not just receive them but receive them
well, is in place.
She asked about the aid budget and whether we were going to stick to the rules; yes, we are. The aid rules are explicit, that you can use the money
in the first year receiving refugees. And I think that makes common sense apart from anything else. And so we will use that money.
She asked for an integration plan. What is going to happen here is the home secretary and the community secretary will chair a committee to bring
together government to make sure we do everything we can to help people across the country. And they will be looking at that issue of integration.
Have we discussed this issue with first ministers in Wales and Scotland?
Yes, there has been contact. The first in Scotland has made a generous offer of, I think, wanting to take 1,000 refugees into Scotland. I think
now there's 20,000 figure -- I think that figure will probably rise. And I welcome what the Scottish National Party are saying about that.
She asked about European cooperation. Let me -- I just got off the telephone to Angela Merkel and she was very grateful and welcomed the
statement that we're making today.
But let me make this point. And I think it is important. Look, Britain has a major role to play in terms of this conflict, because we're the
second biggest funder of these refugee camps. We're the biggest donor of aid to many of these countries. We'll be taking 20,000 refugees.
But we think it makes more sense to take the refugees from the refugee camps rather than redistribute them from within Europe; obviously countries
within the Schengen no-border system have a different set of responses. And we'll work with them. And I think it's important we show a solidarity
as we do so.
What we want to do is to encourage people not to make that dangerous crossing in the first place. But I think it is worth considering this:
there are 11 million people who've been pushed out of their home in Syria. So far only perhaps 3 percent have made that journey to Europe.
And so it's important that, as we act with head and heart, we help people without encouraging them to make that dangerous and potentially lethal
journey.
She asked about an emergency summit. Britain, France and Germany called for an emergency meeting of home affairs and justice ministers, which will
take place on September the 14th. We'll be meeting as well in October; if there's a need for further meetings, we can look at that.
But what's needed overall in Europe is a comprehensive plan, not just the number of refugees, but dealing with the external border, making sure other
countries meet their aid obligations and stopping the criminal gangs.
Let me turn to her questions on counterterrorism. She asked is this the first time in modern times that a British asset has been used to conduct a
strike in a country where we're not involved in a war?
The answer to that is yes; of course, Britain has used remotely piloted aircraft in Iraq and in Afghanistan. But this is a new departure and
that's why I thought it was important to come to the house and explain why I think it is necessary and justified.
She asked about the legal justification. She's right to say that we believe it was necessary, proportionate; there was no other way we could
have met our objectives. And all this was based on the attorney general's advice.
We didn't publish the attorney general's advice, but I'm very happy to discuss the content of that advice and describe what it was about, which
was largely self-defense.
She asked whether the attorney general should take the responsibility of carrying out these strikes.
I don't actually think that is the right person to carry it out. I think the way we did this, with a meeting of senior national security ministers,
authorized by that group and then with the operational details left to the defense secretary in line with what the attorney general said, I think that
is right, a proper process was followed.
She asked what was different about this person and about this case. What I would say is I think a relatively unique set of circumstances, but that's
not to say they won't happen again, is that this person, these people were in a part of Syria with no government, no one to work with, no other way of
addressing this threat.
So the choice we were left with was think this is too difficult, throw up our arms and walk away and then wait for the chaos and terrorism to hit
Britain or take the action in the national interest and neutralize the threat.
And I thought that was the right thing to do.
She asked if we would repeat this. I would say if it is necessary to safeguard the United Kingdom and to act in self-defense -- and there are no
other ways of doing that -- then, yes, I would.
She asked about scrutiny, which I think is a very good question. The reason I'm coming here today is I think it's important to be accountable in
front of this house. But I'm happy to look at what other ways there may be of making sure these sorts of acts are scrutinized in the coming months and
years.
She finally talked about the issue about whether we should combat ISIL in Syria as we do in Iraq.
END
