US wins support for campaign in Iraq

World powers yesterday backed military measures to help defeat Islamic State fighters in Iraq, boosting Washington’s efforts to set up a coalition, but made no mention of the tougher diplomatic challenge next door in Syria.

France sent fighter jets on a reconnaissance mission over Iraq, a step closer to becoming the first ally to join the US in new bombing there since President Barack Obama declared his plans to establish a broad coalition last week.

Paris also hosted an international conference, attended by the five UN Security Council permanent members, European and Arab states, and representatives of the EU, Arab League and UN. All pledged to help the government in Baghdad fight against Islamic State militants.

But a statement after yesterday’s conference made no mention at all of Syria — the other country where Islamic State fighters hold a wide swathe of territory. Iraq attended yesterday’s meeting but Syria did not, nor did its main regional ally, Iran.

Obama pledged last week to establish a coalition to defeat Islamic State fighters in both Iraq and Syria, plunging the US into two separate civil wars in which nearly every country in the Middle East has a stake.

“All participants underscored the urgent need to remove Daesh from the regions in which it has established itself in Iraq,” said a statement after the talks, using an Arabic acronym for the group which calls itself Islamic State.

“To that end, they committed to supporting the new Iraqi Government in its fight against Daesh, by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance....” it said.

Foreign minister Laurent Fabius said French aircraft would begin reconnaissance flights over Iraq. A French official said two Rafale fighter jets and a refuelling aircraft had taken off yesterday for Iraq.

“The throat-slitters of Daesh — that’s what I’m calling them — tell the whole world ‘Either you’re with us or we kill you’. And when one is faced with such a group there is no other attitude than to defend yourself,” Fabius told a news conference at the end of the talks.

Iraqi president Fouad Massoum told the conference he hoped the Paris meeting would bring a “quick response”.

“Islamic State’s doctrine is either you support us or kill us?. It has committed massacres and genocidal crimes and ethnic purification,” he told delegates.

The conference was an important vote of confidence for the new Iraqi government, formed last week, led by a member of Iraq’s Shi’ite majority, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, and also including minority Sunnis and Kurds in important jobs.