The crisis in Iraq must not be dismissed as "nothing to do with us" as the same Islamic jihadists are also planning to attack the UK, David Cameron has warned. The prime minister said the terrorist insurgence in Iraq, as well as related problems in Somalia, Nigeria and Mali, would "come back and hit us at home" if the UK did not help stabilise these regimes.

David Cameron: we'll stop Britons going out to join Islamists

Forty people have been arrested this year for "Syria related activities", Downing Street disclosed as David Cameron stepped up efforts to prevent British citizens travelling to the Middle East to fight alongside Islamists. Cameron met his most senior security experts, defence chiefs and cabinet members on the national security committee to assess the crisis in Iraq, including the call for military help by the Maliki government in Baghdad. Britain has ruled out providing anything other than counter-terrorism expertise and humanitarian aid.