MIDEAST-CRISIS/COALITION-STEINMEIER BISHOP Germany, Australia underline need for continued military action against Islamic State

Record ID: 149905

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/COALITION-STEINMEIER BISHOP Germany, Australia underline need for continued military action against Islamic State
  • Date: 2nd June 2015
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 2, 2015) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) EXTERIOR OF FRENCH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA FLAGS AND EIFFEL TOWER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "We are under no illusion that a victory by military means will be easy and also we know that winning p
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA50VGM1FZYH45XC59U3ZAI0AUY
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Germany's Foreign Minister said it wouldn't be easy to fight off Islamic State on Tuesday (June 2) following talks between coalition countries fighting Islamic State.
    Frank-Walter Steinmeier comments echoed earlier words by his French counterpart Laurent Fabius who said the battle against the group would be long.
    "We are under no illusion that a victory by military means will be easy and also we know that winning peace will be difficult. That's why we talked today not just about the necessary military means but also about what's needed to bring stability to the areas that have been freed from ISIS troops," Steinmeier said.
    He added the military strikes had to continue in Iraq.
    "It's unfortunately necessary that we keep going with the military involvement, that was underlined by many states here today. Some are for airstrikes in Iraq so to prevent ISIS from making progress. We support the peshmerga in Northern Iraq and the regional Kurdish government with military equipment and after some difficult decision making, with weapons," he added.
    Iraq's prime minister on Tuesday accused the international coalition fighting Islamic State of not doing enough to tackle the group, and said important members such as Saudi Arabia are not curbing the flow of foreign fighters to his country.
    To the question on whether Iraq had asked for more help, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia had not received any requests for extra military support.
    "We haven't been asked and if a request is made we'll consider it. But Australia is already the second largest contributor to the building partner capacity initiative after the United States. His (Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi) plea is to other nations who have not yet provided a military contribution and I'm quite confident that's the view because we discussed it in our bilateral meeting," Bishop said.
    "I think that the focus on the destruction of antiquities and cultural heritage is absolutely appropriate because this is being used not only as a propaganda weapon by Daech (Islamic State) but it also goes to the very issue of security and I believe that the Iraqi security forces also have a role in protecting their heritage in that country. So that's part of the huge challenge that is in front of the Iraqi security forces which is why Australia and other coalition colleagues are seeking to build the capacity and capability of the Iraqi security forces," she added.
    The meeting followed the Iraqi government's biggest military setback in nearly a year. On May 17, Islamic State seized Ramadi from the weakened Iraqi army. The capital of the overwhelmingly Sunni Anbar province is just 90 km (55 miles) west of Baghdad.
    Islamic State is an offshoot of al Qaeda that has seized territory in Syria and Iraq and is the target of a U.S.-led air strike campaign in both countries.
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