Clear exit strategy from Syrian conflict, PM says

Prime Minister David Cameron looks at an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet during his visit to Royal Air Force station RAF Northolt, in west London ahead of his government's Strategic Defence and Security Review. Pic: Justin Tallis/PA Wire

It comes as French police tonight reported that an explosive belt - without a detonator - was found by a street cleaner in a pile of rubble in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge. It conatined bolts and the same type of explosive used in the November 13 attacks that killed 130 people in the city, police said.

The belt was found in the place where on-the-run Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam’s mobile phone was operating on the day of the attacks, police added.

Prime Minister Mr Cameron is keen to respond to recent terror attacks with air strikes against IS - also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh - in Syria and on Thursday he will set out his case for the UK to do so, before an expected Commons vote on military action.

Standing alongside French president Francois Hollande in the Elysee Palace earlier today, Mr Cameron said: “The United Kingdom will do all in our power to support our friend and ally France to defeat this evil death cult.”

Later, as the PM set out the results of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, some Labour MPs signalled they could be willing to support air strikes.

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie and shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden were among them but it remains unclear whether Labour MPs will be given a free vote by party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Leslie asked whether the PM would set out a long-term reconstruction and stabilisation plan in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.

The Labour MP said: “Can I urge you to listen carefully to those on this side of the House who have an open mind on this question but who want reassurances on specific things?

“Chiefly, the issue of humanitarian protection and making sure that we prevent further displacement and suffering, but also a specific commitment to long-term reconstruction and stabilisation once conflict has concluded?”

Mr Cameron replied: “I can certainly give you that assurance.My aim here is to bring together the biggest possible majority across this House for taking the action that I think is necessary.

“And I’m not saying that we will solve this problem simply by crossing a line from Iraq into Syria. We’ll solve this problem if we have a political strategy, a diplomatic strategy, a humanitarian strategy, and Britain is leading the way on that, not least by having this conference next year with Norway and Germany and Kuwait to raise the funds that are necessary to help the Syrian people wherever they are.”

Replying to a question by Labour veteran Dennis Skinner, Mr Cameron added: “The exit strategy is a government in Syria that represents all of its people.

“And in terms of exit strategies, I would just make the point that when I became Prime Minister we were nine years into an Afghanistan redeployment and I actually delivered that exit strategy by setting a time and a date by which we should be leaving that country in terms of combat troops and training up the Afghans.”

Meanwhile, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel said the alert level in Brussels will remain at the highest rating, although schools and the subway will begin to reopen on Wednesday.

Belgian authorities earlier charged a fourth suspect with terrorism offences after the arrests of 16 people following raids in the capital on Sunday.