Dannatt: Time to consider British 'boots on the ground' against ISIS
THE former head of the army says the Government should 'think the previously unthinkable' and consider sending ground troops to deal with ISIS.
We have now reached a point when we must think the previously unthinkable
Richard Dannatt says air strikes had not stopped the Islamic State advancing.
ISIS recently gained control of the Iraqi city of Ramadi and the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria.
Lord Dannatt wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "In light of this terrifying scenario, how much longer can Britain and the US continue to show such a lack of commitment to defeating IS mililtarily?
"Their default option of air strikes and limited assistance to indigenous forces has failed thus far.
"We have now reached a point when we must think the previously unthinkable and consider that British troops, acting as part of an international coalition, may be required to mount a ground campaign in Iraq and Syria.
"I am no gung-ho general who says 'just send the boys in and don't worry about the body bags', far from it, but faced with such a lethal and uncompromising enemy as IS - and with the lack of political and diplomatic solutions at our disposal - we can no longer rule out 'boots on the ground'."
But already two senior Conservatives have dismissed the General's idea.
Business secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that troops on the ground was not the answer.
He said: ""This has to be won by the people most affected - it's the Iraqis, the Syrians - and we've got to provide them help with our allies as we're doing."
And former Defence secretary Liam Fox said he did not believe a ground offensive would happen.
He told Murnaghan on Sky News that 'boots on the ground' required the USA to be the 'prime mover' which, he said, was 'out of the question under the Obama presidency'.
Political leaders had avoided the "politically toxic" question during the general election campaign but David Cameron should begin planning, the retired general added.
"What I am calling for today is for a public and political debate to begin immediately, so that arguments for and against the deployment of Western ground forces can be aired ... An opportunity to generate public support for a fully-fledged military intervention was lost, so we have got to start talking about and planning for a potential deployment now.
"Planning is one thing, a decision to commit is another, and could come later."
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced in March two RAF Sentinel surveillance aircraft had been deployed to the region to operate alongside Tornado strike jets and Reaper drones that have been carrying out air strikes against Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.
The UK has sent around 75 military trainers and headquarters staff to provide instruction in the use of small arms, infantry tactics and medical skills as part of a US-led programme to support the moderate Syrian opposition.
