UK should not rush into fight against ISIL: Army chief

The UK should not rush into military campaign against the ISIL Takfiri militants operating in Iraq and Syria, the outgoing Chief of General Staff for the British Army has warned.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, General Sir Peter Wall said that the British government must be cautious to avoid a repeat of mistakes already made in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We have to be very careful that we do not get sucked into an international conflict without having a proper understanding of the situation on the ground and providing sufficient military firepower to execute a decisive plan,” Sir Peter said.

“We were found wanting in both these respects in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it took some time to get things right,” he added.

Britain should hesitate before committing to airstrikes or forces on the ground because of its little knowledge of the terrorist group’ capabilities, the Army head pointed out.

The remarks came less than a week after British Prime Minister David Cameron warned that the UK could be involved in a three-year battle to “degrade and destroy” the ISIL.

British Chancellor George Osborne also noted that London “reserves the right to take action” against the ISIL terrorists if the situation dictates.

The ISIL terrorists, of whom many are foreign militants, currently control parts of eastern Syria and Iraq’s northern and western regions, where they have been committing heinous crimes in the captured areas, including the mass execution of civilians and Iraqi security forces.

This is while the Western governments, including the UK, have contributed to the rise of the ISIL terrorists by sponsoring the militants fighting against the government in Syria.

Last month, US President Barack Obama authorized the use of airstrikes to prevent the advance of the ISIL terrorists in Iraq and to protect American personnel and interests inside the country. The decision came after Washington’s inaction regarding the massacres in Iraq and Syria.