By Elizabeth Piper
LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron told lawmakers on Thursday it was time to join air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, saying Britain cannot "subcontract its security to other countries".
Cameron, who lost a vote on air strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in 2013, needs to persuade several lawmakers in his own Conservative Party and some in the opposition Labour Party to back his cause if he is to win parliament's backing for military action.
Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee criticised extending air strikes into Syria earlier this month, saying that without a clear strategy to defeat the militants and end the civil war such action was "incoherent".
But since Islamic State claimed responsibility for killing 130 people in Paris, some lawmakers who were reluctant to launch new strikes in Syria have increasingly felt action was needed to protect Britain from such attacks.
"We do not have the luxury of being able to wait until the Syrian conflict is resolved before tackling ISIL (Islamic State)," Cameron wrote in a response to the committee's objections.
He said in his 24-page response the campaign against Islamic State was entering a new phase, focusing on command and control, supply lines and financial support - something Britain could contribute well to.
"It is wrong for the United Kingdom to sub-contract its security to other countries, and to expect the aircrews of other nations to carry the burdens and the risks of striking ISIL in Syria to stop terrorism here in Britain," he said.
Cameron will have to convince lawmakers that extending the air strikes will not mean that Britain becomes an even greater target for attacks. Militants downed a Russian airliner after Moscow launched strikes on Syria, killing all 224 on board.
Thirty Conservative lawmakers voted against the motion for military intervention in Syria in August 2013.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran anti-war campaigner, says he is also reluctant to support the strikes without a political plan for Syria, fearful more bombing would complicate the more than 4-1/2 year civil war.
But, breaking with a British political tradition of using a "party whip" to keep party discipline, his finance spokesman said Labour was considering allowing its lawmakers to vote as they wish, which may increase support for Cameron.
"In these sort of issues of conscience it is better to allow MPs to make their own minds up," John McDonnell told BBC television, adding Britain must learn lessons from the 2003 Iraq war. Islamic State hold territory in northern and western Iraq.
Finance minister George Osborne, a frontrunner to succeed Cameron, said he understood people's concerns that further involvement in the Middle East could make Britain a target.
"We know they want reassurance that we are getting this right ... first of all we are a target from this terrorist organisation ISIL (Islamic State)," he told BBC radio, referring to the attacks on tourists in Tunisia in June.
He said it was a "bit strange" that Britain's air force could strike in Iraq but not Syria.
"I don't think this is a country that lets others like the French or the Americans defend our interests and protect us from terrorist organisations - we should contribute to that effort."
(Additional reporting by James Davey, Kylie MacLellan and William James, editing by Stephen Addison) ((elizabeth.piper@thomsonreuters.com; 07979746994; Reuters Messaging: elizabeth.piper.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: MIDEAST CRISIS/SYRIA BRITAIN
* Cameron says Britain cannot sub-contract defence
* Paris attacks sway MPS towards military action in Syria
* Cameron lost Syria air strikes vote in 2013
(Adds speech in parliament, reaction)
By Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan
LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron said on Thursday it was time to join air strikes against Islamic State in Syria because Britain cannot "subcontract its security to other countries".
Many Britons are wary of entering into another war in the Middle East after Western intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya failed to bring stability to the region and some believe led to the rise of militants groups such as Islamic State.
But after Islamic State claimed responsibility for killing 130 people in Paris, some members of parliament who were reluctant to launch further military action in the Middle East now feel it is needed to protect Britain from such attacks.
Cameron lost a vote on air strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in 2013 and must persuade some wary members of his own Conservative Party and in the opposition Labour Party to back him if he is to win parliament's support for military action.
After setting out his case for action, Cameron appeared to have persuaded at least two of 30 party "rebels" who voted against him in 2013, but other opposition lawmakers said he had yet to answer questions about how the bombing would achieve peace.
"We do not have the luxury of being able to wait until the Syrian conflict is resolved before tackling ISIL (Islamic State)," Cameron wrote in a response to the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, which had said a policy to extend air strikes was "incoherent" without a strategy to defeat the militants.
"It is wrong for the United Kingdom to sub-contract its security to other countries, and to expect the aircrews of other nations to carry the burdens and the risks of striking ISIL in Syria to stop terrorism here in Britain," he added.
He said in the 24-page response that the campaign against Islamic State was entering a new phase, focusing on command and control, supply lines and financial support - something that suited Britain's capabilities.
Fearful of losing standing on the world stage, Cameron said Britain should respond to requests from allies, including the United States, but said he would not put a vote to parliament unless there was a majority backing action.
He said he did not want to hand Islamic State a "propaganda coup" by losing a vote.
The government has not set a timetable for any vote but Cameron said earlier this week parliament would be able to consider his case over the weekend, prompting many to expect he could push for a vote as early as next week.
Cameron told some lawmakers, who fear joining the air strikes over Syria would make Britain more of a target, that with the threat to the country already as high as it could be, the only way of reducing it would be to "degrade" Islamic State.
CHANGING VIEWS
British politicians are keenly aware of public opinion over whether the launch air strikes on Syria. A poll by YouGov this week said 59 percent of people would approve of such strikes, compared with 58 percent a week earlier.
After Cameron's statement, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Crispin Blunt, said he now believed parliament should support the prime minister's judgement "that the United Kingdom should play a full role in the coalition". Another Conservative lawmaker, Sarah Wollaston, said she had changed her mind and was now in favour of air strikes.
But others, in Labour and the Scottish National Party, were less convinced, saying the prime minister had yet to present a clear peace plan for Syria after the military campaign. Others feared that air strikes would pave the way for sending in ground troops, which Cameron denied.
Cameron is hoping to find some support among Labour lawmakers, who are deeply split over their new leader Jeremy Corbyn's anti-war stance.
Breaking with a British political tradition of using a "party whip" to maintain parliamentary discipline, Corbyn's finance spokesman said Labour was considering allowing its lawmakers to vote as they wish.
"In these sort of issues of conscience it is better to allow MPs to make their own minds up," John McDonnell told BBC television.
(Additional reporting by James Davey and William James; editing by Giles Elgood) ((elizabeth.piper@thomsonreuters.com; 07979746994; Reuters Messaging: elizabeth.piper.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: MIDEAST CRISIS/SYRIA BRITAIN
