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US says it is forming 'core coalition' to fight Isis militants in Iraq US to form 'core coalition' to fight Isis militants in Iraq
(about 1 hour later)
The United States said on Friday it was forming a "core coalition" to battle Islamic State militants in Iraq, calling for broad support from allies and partners but ruling out committing ground forces. The US has announced it is forming a "core coalition" to battle Islamic State in Iraq, and has given the new bloc two weeks to finalise plans to help the Baghdad authorities and the Kurds in the north intensify the fight against the militants.
"We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own," the US secretary of state, John Kerry, told a meeting of 10 nations. The US secretary of state, John Kerry, told the Nato summit in Wales that the 10-nation coalition would concentrate on shoring up those in Iraq who were fighting against Isis, but said intervention would not extend to western powers sending in troops.
"Obviously I think that's a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground." "We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own," Kerry told a meeting of the 10 nations that will form the coalition. "Obviously I think that's a red line for everybody here: no boots on the ground."
The defence and foreign ministers of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark met on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Wales to discuss a strategy for addressing the Sunni militant group that has taken over swaths of Iraqi and Syrian territory. He said the grouping should come up with firm plans by the time the UN general assembly meets to open its annual session on 16 September.
More details soon … The 10 nations are the US, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark. Significantly, the group does not include any Arab nation and only one of Iraq's six neighbours.
The US has launched more than 100 air strikes on Isis positions in northern Iraq in the past month to try to check the progress of the militants, who have seized a vast swath of Syria and Iraq this summer.
But Pentagon officials have said that this military engagement will only contain the Isis advance, not defeat them, and that a broader strategy and alliance is needed.
The Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said her country was prepared to join in future air strikes.
She said: "The countries that have expressed a willingness to tackle Isil head-on have also looked at what more can be done in terms of air strikes and Australia will respond when a formal request is made.
"The red line is combat troops on the ground. There is no interest from any country present to commit combat troops," she said.