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| Obama vows to destroy Isis's 'brand of evil' as Iraq requests help from Britain | Obama vows to destroy Isis's 'brand of evil' as Iraq requests help from Britain |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Western leaders vowed to lead a global coalition to destroy the Islamic State extremist movement on Wednesday, as President Obama warned the militants to “leave the battlefield while they can” and British prime minister David Cameron recalled parliament for a Friday vote on UK air strikes in Iraq. | Western leaders vowed to lead a global coalition to destroy the Islamic State extremist movement on Wednesday, as President Obama warned the militants to “leave the battlefield while they can” and British prime minister David Cameron recalled parliament for a Friday vote on UK air strikes in Iraq. |
| The quickening pace of the military campaign against Isis dominated proceedings at the United Nations general assembly in New York, where Obama issued a call to arms against what he called Isis’s “network of death”. | The quickening pace of the military campaign against Isis dominated proceedings at the United Nations general assembly in New York, where Obama issued a call to arms against what he called Isis’s “network of death”. |
| “No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force,” Obama said, urging fighters for the Islamic State group to flee Syria and Iraq while they still had a chance. | “No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force,” Obama said, urging fighters for the Islamic State group to flee Syria and Iraq while they still had a chance. |
| A few hours later, US Central Command said forces with the US-led coalition hit about a dozen targets in Syria, including small oil refineries that have provided lucrative income to Isis. The US said aircraft from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were involved in the raids. | A few hours later, US Central Command said forces with the US-led coalition hit about a dozen targets in Syria, including small oil refineries that have provided lucrative income to Isis. The US said aircraft from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were involved in the raids. |
| In the UK, Cameron’s recall of parliament to approve British participation in air strikes followed assurances from Ed Miliband, the opposition leader, that the Labour party would support the campaign. Britain is likely to send RAF Tornado aircraft into action, possibly as early as this weekend, once MPs have voted. | In the UK, Cameron’s recall of parliament to approve British participation in air strikes followed assurances from Ed Miliband, the opposition leader, that the Labour party would support the campaign. Britain is likely to send RAF Tornado aircraft into action, possibly as early as this weekend, once MPs have voted. |
| At the close of the Labour party conference in Manchester, Miliband convened an emergency meeting of his shadow cabinet to endorse military action in Iraq, providing Cameron with the assurance he needed that he would win the vote in the House of Commons. | At the close of the Labour party conference in Manchester, Miliband convened an emergency meeting of his shadow cabinet to endorse military action in Iraq, providing Cameron with the assurance he needed that he would win the vote in the House of Commons. |
| Cameron met the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, in New York to receive a formal request for military action, clearing a vital legal hurdle to UK involvement. Labour has made clear it would not support UK action in Syria in the absence of any similar request from the Syrian government in Damascus. | Cameron met the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, in New York to receive a formal request for military action, clearing a vital legal hurdle to UK involvement. Labour has made clear it would not support UK action in Syria in the absence of any similar request from the Syrian government in Damascus. |
| In his address to the United Nations, Cameron said Britain was ready to play its part in dealing with “an evil against which the whole world must unite”. | |
| He warned that Britain must not be “frozen with fear” of repeating the mistakes of the Iraq War that it fails to take on the “psychopathic, murderous, brutal” jihadis. “It has murderous plans to expand its borders well beyond Iraq and Syria and to carry out terrorist atrocities right across the world,” he said. | |
| He was to go on to argue that Iraq’s formal request for assistance opened the way for him to seek approval for UK air strikes in parliament on Friday. | He was to go on to argue that Iraq’s formal request for assistance opened the way for him to seek approval for UK air strikes in parliament on Friday. |
| In his address to the general assembly, President Obama vowed that the Islamic State group, which he referred to his administration’s preferred acronym of Isil, would be degraded and destroyed. “Those who have joined Isil should leave the battlefield while they can. Those who continue to fight for a hateful cause will find they are increasingly alone.” | In his address to the general assembly, President Obama vowed that the Islamic State group, which he referred to his administration’s preferred acronym of Isil, would be degraded and destroyed. “Those who have joined Isil should leave the battlefield while they can. Those who continue to fight for a hateful cause will find they are increasingly alone.” |
| Obama said the US-led effort would be relentless, adding: “We will use our military might in a campaign of airstrikes to roll back Isil. We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground. We will work to cut off their financing, and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region.” | Obama said the US-led effort would be relentless, adding: “We will use our military might in a campaign of airstrikes to roll back Isil. We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground. We will work to cut off their financing, and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region.” |
| His pledge came as the French president, François Hollande, confirmed that a French citizen kidnapped in Alergia had been beheaded by militants linked to Isis. | His pledge came as the French president, François Hollande, confirmed that a French citizen kidnapped in Alergia had been beheaded by militants linked to Isis. |
| The group, calling itself Jund al-Khilafah – or Soldiers of the Caliphate – released a video which appeared to depict the beheading of Hervé Gourdel, 55, a mountain guide from Nice. The video resembled those showing the beheadings of two American journalists and British aid worker David Haines in recent weeks. | The group, calling itself Jund al-Khilafah – or Soldiers of the Caliphate – released a video which appeared to depict the beheading of Hervé Gourdel, 55, a mountain guide from Nice. The video resembled those showing the beheadings of two American journalists and British aid worker David Haines in recent weeks. |
| The US first announced it had extended its air campaign against Isis into Syria, along with five Arab allies, also hitting targets associated with another militant group, Khorasan, with links to al-Qaida, on Tuesday. However, British officials made clear that Friday’s parliamentary vote would concern only air strikes in Iraq, where the government had called for military support. | The US first announced it had extended its air campaign against Isis into Syria, along with five Arab allies, also hitting targets associated with another militant group, Khorasan, with links to al-Qaida, on Tuesday. However, British officials made clear that Friday’s parliamentary vote would concern only air strikes in Iraq, where the government had called for military support. |
| Obama said that the US had no intention of sending “US troops to occupy foreign lands” and would not allow counter-terrorism to be the single defining feature of US foreign policy. | Obama said that the US had no intention of sending “US troops to occupy foreign lands” and would not allow counter-terrorism to be the single defining feature of US foreign policy. |
| The onus for countering extremism in the long term lay on the shoulders of the Islamic world. | The onus for countering extremism in the long term lay on the shoulders of the Islamic world. |
| “It is time for the world – especially Muslim communities – to explicitly, forcefully, and consistently reject the ideology of organisations like al-Qaida and Isil,” President Obama said. “It is one of the tasks of all great religions to accommodate devout faith with a modern, multicultural world.” | “It is time for the world – especially Muslim communities – to explicitly, forcefully, and consistently reject the ideology of organisations like al-Qaida and Isil,” President Obama said. “It is one of the tasks of all great religions to accommodate devout faith with a modern, multicultural world.” |
| The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, continued to reject cooperation with the US against Isis, even though he denounced the group. He claimed that Iran had been the first to realise the threat of Isis and was the first to help fight it in Iraq. | The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, continued to reject cooperation with the US against Isis, even though he denounced the group. He claimed that Iran had been the first to realise the threat of Isis and was the first to help fight it in Iraq. |
| “We made our military advisors available to Iraqis and Kurds on the front line against Isis,” he said, speaking at a New York event at the sidelines of the general assembly. He criticised western training of Free Syrian Army fighters as a moderate alternative to Isis in Syria, calling it just “another terrorist group the US is sending to fight”. | “We made our military advisors available to Iraqis and Kurds on the front line against Isis,” he said, speaking at a New York event at the sidelines of the general assembly. He criticised western training of Free Syrian Army fighters as a moderate alternative to Isis in Syria, calling it just “another terrorist group the US is sending to fight”. |
| As Obama was speaking, Cameron met Rouhani on the margins of the general assembly summit, marking the first time the two countries’ leaders had met since Iran’s revolution in 1979. | As Obama was speaking, Cameron met Rouhani on the margins of the general assembly summit, marking the first time the two countries’ leaders had met since Iran’s revolution in 1979. |
| “The PM and president acknowledged that there had been significant differences between their countries in the past, and agreed that we should seek to progressively improve our bilateral relationship,” a Downing Street spokesperson said. | “The PM and president acknowledged that there had been significant differences between their countries in the past, and agreed that we should seek to progressively improve our bilateral relationship,” a Downing Street spokesperson said. |
| “They agreed that this would help build mutual trust and create the environment in which issues such as the future of Iran’s nuclear programme could be successfully addressed.” | “They agreed that this would help build mutual trust and create the environment in which issues such as the future of Iran’s nuclear programme could be successfully addressed.” |
| However, the general assembly is convening at a time of deep division within the security council over Syria and Iran. Obama’s speech was also distinguished by an unusually sharp denunciation of Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, resulting in the annexation of Crimea and a festering conflict in the east of the country. | However, the general assembly is convening at a time of deep division within the security council over Syria and Iran. Obama’s speech was also distinguished by an unusually sharp denunciation of Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, resulting in the annexation of Crimea and a festering conflict in the east of the country. |
| Moscow’s actions, he said, represented a threat to the international order established after the second world war with the creation of the UN. | Moscow’s actions, he said, represented a threat to the international order established after the second world war with the creation of the UN. |
| “This is a vision of the world in which might makes right – a world in which one nation’s borders can be redrawn by another, and civilised people are not allowed to recover the remains of their loved ones because of the truth that might be revealed,” Obama said, in a reference to the obstruction by pro-Russian militants of an international investigation into the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet, MH17, in July. | “This is a vision of the world in which might makes right – a world in which one nation’s borders can be redrawn by another, and civilised people are not allowed to recover the remains of their loved ones because of the truth that might be revealed,” Obama said, in a reference to the obstruction by pro-Russian militants of an international investigation into the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet, MH17, in July. |
| He pledged that the US would take a firm stand against Russia, offering political and economic support to Ukraine, while reinforcing Nato allies in eastern Europe and restated American commitment to Nato’s collective self-defence.” | He pledged that the US would take a firm stand against Russia, offering political and economic support to Ukraine, while reinforcing Nato allies in eastern Europe and restated American commitment to Nato’s collective self-defence.” |
| At the same time, the president offered an olive branch if Russia followed the course of diplomacy in the wake of the precarious ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. In that case, Obama said Washington “will lift our sanctions and welcome Russia’s role in addressing common challenges”. | At the same time, the president offered an olive branch if Russia followed the course of diplomacy in the wake of the precarious ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. In that case, Obama said Washington “will lift our sanctions and welcome Russia’s role in addressing common challenges”. |