Before everyone turns this into one gigantic back-slapping Praise-God-And-Pass-The-Ammunition, coupled with ‘I’m more British than you and death to all the foreigners …’ glee-fest, let’s just pause to think –
We are categorically not at war with Syria – we may be engaged in combat with IS, but that is not the same thing by any means.
And while we are considering – there is a possibility here – as yet unproven, but under discussion, that a British Prime Minister, having asked the House Of Commons for leave to bomb IS and been refused – has gone behind the back of Parliament and sanctioned selective bombing on targets in Syria, contrary not only to the express wishes of the elected representatives, of this country, but also contrary to law.
So why don’t we all calm down and stop slapping each other on the back with joy that people have died, and think about that.
I do not for one moment condone any of the ideology or tactics of IS, but if we abandon the rule of law so that one person can decide to assassinate people at will, then we are getting down and dirty with the IS way of doing things, and I for one think that is not a path we want to go down.