10 Arab countries support coalition against the IS
From left, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shukri, Kuwaiti foreign minister Sabah Al-Khalid al-Sabah, Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Omani foreign minister Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Bahraini
Jeddah: Arab nations rallied behind US President Barack Obama’s nascent coalition against the Islamic State however, Germany said it will not participate in any air strikes on Syria. France, meanwhile, has said that it is prepared to participate in air strikes against the militants in Iraq “if necessary”. French President Francois Hollande was in Iraq on Friday and held a talk with new PM after which, the latter said France will join the US-led airstrikes in Iraq.
After talks in Saudi Arabia’s summer capital Jeddah, Secretary of State John Kerry won backing from 10 Arab countries Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and six Gulf states including rich rivals Saudi Arabia and Qatar for a coalition to fight the Islamic State militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria.
“Arab nations play a critical role in that coalition, the leading role really across all lines of effort: military support, humanitarian aid, our work to stop the flow of illegal funds,” Mr Kerry told a news conference.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, has overruled the foreign secretary Philip Hammond after he appeared to rule out UK involvement in air strikes against Islamic State forces in Syria.
“Britain will not be taking part in any airstrikes in Syria,” Mr Hammond had said, following talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin. However, Mr Cameron’s spokesman soon after, overruled Mr Hammond, saying the PM had not ruled anything out when it comes to action against IS aggression in West Asia.
( Source : agencies )
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