CNN Analyst: New ISIS Beheading Just ‘Guaranteed’ UK Cooperation in U.S. Campaign

For the past few days, there’s been a question about how involved the British government would be in the international campaign against ISIS. Following President Obama‘s speech, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said, “Let me be clear: Britain will not be taking part in any airstrikes in Syria.”

However, a spokesperson for Prime Minister David Cameron said they had not ruled out such action yet.

But today, with the reported beheading of British aid worker David Haines in a new ISIS video, CNN military analyst Lt. Col. Rick Francona said ISIS strongly miscalculated, because this will “galvanize the British population” and push the government into decisive action:

“Do they want to drag the British into a war? The British are a formidable military force, they bring a lot to the alliance, and now I think ISIS has just guaranteed cooperation with America on all phases of what we’re going to be doing.”

Former CIA officer Bob Baer noted that ISIS is trying to provoke “to go to war with the West” because it “defines them [and] gives them legitimacy” for people they’re trying to recruit.

Watch CNN’s report on the breaking news, including Francona’s comments, here:

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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