UK military operations in Syria and Iraq Contents

Contents

1 Introduction

Terms of reference

The Inquiry

2 DAESH and the threat posed by DAESH affiliates

DAESH Affiliates

Libya

The Sinai and Yemen

Afghanistan

Africa

US Assessment

3 The UK military effort

Introduction

Progress so far

UK military action—airstrikes

UK assets

Definition of the term ‘airstrike’

Numbers of airstrikes

Comparison of the number of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

Targets of airstrikes

Comparison of UK airstrikes with those of Coalition partners

UK military action—Training

Training in Iraq

Training in the wider Middle East

UK military action—Gifting of Equipment

Conclusion

4 Armed actors in Syria

The ethnic and political composition of the Syrian opposition and UK support for non-state actors

The threat posed by Jabhat al-Nusra

Russian and Assad regime efforts to combat DAESH

Conclusion

5 UK strategy in the Middle East and the wider strategy against extremism

The potential for the failure of the current strategy

The pace of the strategy and political reform

Concerns about human rights abuses by UK-supported forces

The danger posed by military success without political reform

UK strategy in the Middle East

Conclusion

6 Changing the way we intervene

The effectiveness of past UK interventions

The purpose of intervention

Committing to reconstruction and stabilisation

Conclusion

Conclusions and recommendations

Appendix 1: Tables showing airstrikes

Appendix 2: Airstrike data from US Department of Defense website

Appendix 3: Correspondence between the Committee and the Secretary of State

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

Published written evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament





© Parliamentary copyright

16 September 2016