Countries Vow to End IS Threat Using All Means Necessary
Diplomats from 30 countries gathered in Paris Monday, pledged to support Iraq in its fight against the Islamic State by "any means necessary".
The representatives issued a joint statement saying that they will back Baghdad "by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance, in line with the needs expressed by the Iraqi authorities, in accordance with international law and without jeopardising civilian security," reports Agence France Press.
They said the extremists were "a threat not only to Iraq but also to the entire international community" and that there was an "urgent need" to remove them from Iraq, where they control some 40 percent of its territory.
The meeting was called to boost support for President Barack Obama's efforts to gather international support, including from the Middle East, to combat the rising menace of the Islamic State.
The meeting comes in the wake of the third beheading of a foreign national by the IS. The extreme jihadist group posted a video of the killing of a British aid worker David Haines, this Saturday.
The French President Francois Hollande, addressing the summit said that the threat posed by IS militants needed a global response, reports the BBC.
Iraqi President Fuad Masum, co-hosting the summit wanted a quick and urgent response from the world community
"If this intervention and support to Iraq is late, that means that Islamic State could occupy more territory and the threat it poses will be even bigger," he said, according to the BBC.
France and Britain have already joined the United States in carrying out targeted airstrikes against the IS in Iraq. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot has agreed to send 600 troops to Saudi Arabia to fight the IS. The coalition is backed by 10 other Arab states and the number of countries joining the effort is going up with Korea and New Zealand also pledging support
Another meeting is planned in Bahrain to discuss the Islamic State funding, reports AFP.
