LONDON, September 26 (RIA Novosti) – Scotland's largest political party, the Scottish National Party (SNP), has refused to confirm whether it will back British airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) positions in Iraq during the Friday Parliamentary vote on the issue.
"We will look at the debate as it unfolds in the Chamber today. No decision has been made but we will make a full statement later," SNP spokesperson Catriona Matheson told RIA Novosti Friday.
Meanwhile Esther Hutcheson, a spokesperson for the Scottish Government, told RIA Novosti Friday that "Any action taken in Iraq must be in accordance with international law; and in that respect we note the request for assistance made to the UK by the Government of Iraq."
"It will be important to examine the Prime Minister's detailed proposals, which must include a strategy leading to a long-term solution for the region. Any escalation or committing of troops would require further Parliamentary consent," Hutcheson noted.
British MPs are now debating whether or not the United Kingdom would take part in international airstrikes against the IS militant group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The radical Sunni organization has been fighting against the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the IS extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq.
The United States has carried out a number of airstrikes against IS positions in Iraq and Syria. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly taken part in the most recent attacks.
