British troops will not get back into Iraq despite the country teetering on the verge of collapse to ISIS, a top Cabinet minister revealed this morning.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid admitted more troops were needed on the ground – but insisted: ‘This is not a war on the ground for British troops.’
It comes after ISIS fanatics made dramatic gains in both Iraq and Syria – gaining control of the ancient town of Palmyra and the strategic city of Ramadi just outside Baghdad reports Daily Mail.
The group’s continuing advance has sparked growing calls – both in Britain and the US – for more to be done to intervene.
Former head of the Army Lord Dannatt today called on the Government to ‘think the previously unthinkable’ and consider sending ground troops into the battle.
The former chief of the general staff said he felt air strikes had ‘failed’ to stop the advance of the extremist organisation and urged Parliament to debate deploying up to 5,000 infantry soldiers.
But Mr Javid, a rising Tory star in the Cabinet tipped as a future Conservative leader, flatly rejected Lord Dannatt’s demand this morning.