Iraq Airstrikes: 'UK Has A Moral Responsibility'

British commanders with experience in Iraq have urged David Cameron to consider taking military action against Islamic State (IS) fighters.

Colonel Tim Collins has warned the Prime Minister that ancient civilisations in Iraq could be "extinguished" unless action is taken to stop the advance of IS.

He also claimed the Government has "left for lunch" on the issue, and accused politicians of refusing to accept the "moral responsibility" to act.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: "In the next months ancient civilisations will be extinguished on our watch unless we act.

"Britain helped create Iraq in 1920 and we have a moral responsibility to help.

The Prime Minister has been on a 10-day holiday in Portugal

"We have used the Kurds as a public convenience for too long, now their backs are against the wall and we've got to support them."

It comes as the UK steps up its delivery of aid to the thousands of ethnic minority Kurdish Yazidis trapped in the Sinjar mountains after fleeing the advance of violent jihadists in the north of the country.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening confirmed RAF plans had carried out a third round of aid drops over night including tents to provide shelter from the 40C heat and water purification kits.

Downing Street has so far resisted calls for UK forces to join the US in taking military action against IS. It has also rejected demands for Parliament to be recalled to debate the crisis.

Mr Cameron has been on holiday in Portugal with his family, but is expected to return to Number 10 on Wednesday.

Tony Abbott, in London on Tuesday, hinted forces could return to Iraq

A YouGov poll carried out for The Times suggests support for the British bombing of militants in Iraq is now at 40%. Some 36% of those asked were opposed to the UK taking action.

The United Nations estimates that between 20,000 and 30,000 people from the ancient Yazidi community remain stranded on Mount Sinjar.

Britain is sending a "small number" of RAF Chinook helicopters to the region as efforts continue to ease the plight of the trapped Yazidis.

The Government has already sent RAF Tornado jets equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment to help gather intelligence about the situation.

The UK has also committed to transport military equipment to resupply Kurdish forces which have been outgunned by IS.

After talks with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in London on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated his country's combat forces could return to Iraq but stressed it would be to "prevent genocide" on a "fundamentally humanitarian mission".

US service members prepare humanitarian aid for the Yazidis in Iraq

Germany has pledged to deliver "non lethal" military aid, including armoured vehicles, helmets and night vision goggles, to the Iraqi army.

General Sir Mike Jackson, who was the professional head of the army during the Iraq War, told the Daily Telegraph Britain should join the US in launching airstrikes.

"Given our history over recent years in Iraq, we have a moral duty to do what we can on humanitarian grounds," he said.

"I would have no difficulty at all in saying that we should be alongside the United States and up the British ante to the use of airpower, on humanitarian grounds."

Former Conservative Defence Secretary Liam Fox also said it was time RAF jets were sent in to join US airstrikes. Writing in the Daily Mail, he said sending in aid was not enough.

The US has sent 130 more military advisers to northern Iraq to assess the scope of the humanitarian mission.

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