'I wish the BBC would stop calling it Islamic State' – David Cameron unleashes frustration at broadcaster
Prime Minister urges BBC to refer to 'barbarous' terrorist group as 'Isil'
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David Cameron has expressed frustration at the BBC over its use of the term Islamic State, saying it gives undue credibility to the “poisonous death cult” that is “seducing” young Britons to go and fight for the terrorist organisation in Syria and Iraq.
He urged the broadcaster to refer to the terrorist group as “Isil” – the abbreviation of the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The Prime Minister was speaking after the number of Britons feared dead from the murderous attack by an Islamist gunman on a beach resort in Tunisia on Friday reached 30.
"I wish the BBC would stop calling it 'Islamic State' because it is not an Islamic state,” he told the Today programme.
"What it is is an appalling barbarous regime that is a perversion of the religion of Islam and many Muslims listening to this programme will recoil every time they hear the words.
"'So-called' or Isil is better,” he added.
He warned that the fight against the barbaric terrorist organisation was “the struggle of our generation,” adding: “We have to fight it with everything we can”.
Mr Cameron pledged a “full spectrum” response to the attack by Seifeddine Resgui, who was gunned down himself by police after his murderous rampage left a total of 38 people dead on the Sousse beach resort.
British officials have already confirmed 17 of his victims are British but Mr Cameron said the country should be prepared for the news of more UK casualties as officials continue to identify those killed on the beach.
He announced that Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will travel to the country today for talks on how to address the extremist threat and to pay condolences at the scene of the attack.
An RAF C17 transport plane is also being deployed to help bring stranded tourists home, and potentially repatriate bodies.
Mr Cameron said the Government is working "as fast as we can" to give families information.
"I know it has taken time but these are very difficult things and we must get them right," he said.
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