Cameron: Bombing ISIL will make Britain safer

British Prime Minister David Cameron publicly set out his case Thursday for the United Kingdom joining U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria, saying that to do so would "make us safer."

Cameron told British parliamentarians that the country was already being targeted by the Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, and that it was imperative that they "take action" now. He also said that Britain owed it to the United States and France.

"These are our closest allies and they want our help," he said, addressing the House of Commons.

He said that British security forces had foiled seven attacks in the last year planned or inspired by ISIL and that airstrikes would not consequently increase the threat to the country from extremists.

He was trying to convince reluctant lawmakers that there was a strong case for military action in Syria. The Royal Air Force is already bombing ISIL targets in Iraq, but Britain's Parliament voted against strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in 2013 when allegations surfaced that is was using chemical weapons against opposition forces.

Cameron said Thursday he would only hold a vote this time if he was certain that he could win it. He answered 103 questions from parliamentarians and stressed that airstrikes alone would not be able to defeat the militant group but also ruled out British ground forces.

"We have to think about the danger of being counter-productive and I think there is good evidence from history that the presence of Western ground troops could itself (lead to radicalization)," the prime minister said. "That is why we are charting such a careful path and saying we support action from the air, support for (any) troops on the ground, but we don't propose the application of British ground troops."

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's left-leaning opposition Labour Party, nevertheless cautioned that the airstrikes could have "unintended consequences" that might lead to a larger military campaign, including ground troops, and questioned whether Britain's contribution to the bombing campaign by the U.S. and France would make any difference.

Cameron said they would make a difference and that the airstrikes would eventually enable Britain to help rebuild Syria. “This is about learning the lessons of Iraq,” the prime minister said. “We are not in the business of dismantling the Syrian state or its institutions.”

The speech came as authorities in Belgium said they conducted a raid Thursday connected to the Paris attacks that killed 130 people on Nov. 13. No arrests were made. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the massacre in the French capital.

There was a scare in Brussels after a suspicious white powder was discovered in an envelope in a mosque in the city. Police said it was not anthrax and there appears to be no danger.

French President Francois Hollande meanwhile traveled to Moscow on Thursday as he continues to try to bolster support for military action against ISIL. He met with President Obama in Washington on Tuesday.

But the French president's trip to Russia has been made more difficult after a Russian fighter plane was shot down this week by Turkey near its border with Syria. Turkey is a member of NATO that has sided with the West in its belief that peace in Syria can only be achieved once President Assad is removed from power. Russia backs Assad.

After Hollande appealed to Germany to help fight ISIL, the country said Thursday it would send fighter jets to Syria for reconnaissance flights.