DUSHANBE, September 15, 2014, Asia-Plus — US Secretary of State John Kerry is reportedly meeting foreign ministers from around the world in Paris today to discuss how to defeat Islamic State (IS) militants.
French President Francois Hollande said the beheading of a British aid worker showed the world must act against IS.
The BBC reports that about 40 countries, including 10 Arab states, have signed up to a coalition to help fight IS in Iraq and Syria. US officials were quoted as saying that several Arab countries have offered to take part in air strikes on IS fighters in Iraq.
According to the BBC, Mr. Kerry says he is “extremely encouraged” by promises of military assistance to tackle the militant group. He spoke after a whirlwind tour of the Middle East to try to drum up support for a plan of action unveiled by US President Barack Obama last week.
Iran reportedly dismissed the talks as “just for show” after voicing its unhappiness at not being on the “selective guest list.”
The US-led coalition also came under fire from Syria, who said President Obama”s plans would fail without involving Iraq”s neighbor, the BBC said. .
International media sources report that the brutal murder of British hostage David Haines by IS militants, shown in a video released by the group on Saturday, has added momentum to the plans being discussed in Paris.
Reuters reports that foreign leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and the office of French President Francois Hollande condemned the killing of Haines and expressed their condolences.
In a statement on Sunday, the UN Security Council condemned the murder as “heinous and cowardly” and said that IS “must be defeated.”
The BBC reports that Islamic State controls large parts of Iraq and Syria and the CIA estimates that the group could have as many as 30,000 fighters in the region.
Since August, US fighter jets have reportedly conducted about 160 air strikes on IS positions in Iraq.
