UK will help destroy Islamic State, David Cameron tells US - Is the UK going to take the Lead?

One more thought on this. "You know fighting in a basement offers a lot of difficulties. Number one being you're fighting' in a basement"

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I think that CPO Joseph Grant has assessed the situation correctly!

LTC Stephen F. COL Mikel J. Burroughs Sadly the UK does not have the ability or manpower, but working as part of NATO will help.

LTC John Shaw, COL Mikel J. Burroughs I think this a primary issue is national willpower not sufficient manpower. If UK shifts from tolerating/protecting radical Islamic elements within their nation to and shifts to interdicting those IS, A Shabab, and Al Qaeda wannabees to targeting radical Islamic preaching and propaganda this will be an important step. Then if the entire Western intel and police counter-terror and and financial and criminal investigative arms focusing on black-market sales of valuables and oil form Syria, Iraq, etc. networks do a better job of sharing what they know and are learning this will help to cripple the in-flow of funds and fighters to IS and the other Islamic terror networks. A major step would be a better response from Turkey in terms of temporarily ignoring the Kurdish state issue and blocking flow of fighters into the region as well as flow of black-market items out of the region. With the above steps moving the need for manpower versus will not be as great especially if targeted special operations strikes are coupled with the ready capability to inject sizable conventional forces with sufficient support [direct, indirect fire including linear and non-linear and sustainment] of a "Brigade" or "Regiment" at key operational points are prepared.
Similar to one of the lines from Dr. Strangelove the willingness, readiness and availability of this conventional capability needs to understood by IS so that it can be used to affect their plans and operations.

Don't sell the UK short. They can come up with the manpower. They haven't survived all of theses centuries by not taking the bull by the horns when threatened.

Thanks SGT Tom Cross. My family is British, I was conceived there and born here with dual citizenship until I enlisted in 1974 and became an American citizen. My paternal grandfather was British Army Lance Corporal who fought at Gallipoli, and in the trench warfare of France and Belgium until the war ended. I lost relatives in the bombings of London during the Battle of Britain. British manpower was attrited in the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimea, WWI and WWII yet Britain has always been resilient and helped us fight OEF and OIF.