Joint efforts blunt ISIL's advance in Iraq / US: We did not negotiate with Islamic militants

US airstrikes and military assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish security forces have stalled the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) forces around Erbil, Iraq, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday.

This assistance helped the Iraqis retake and hold the Mosul Dam, which, if breached, would have threatened the lives of thousands of Iraqis as well as American personnel and facilities, Hagel said during a news conference.

"The United States led an international effort to address the humanitarian crisis that unfolded at Mount Sinjar," the secretary said. "As there continues to be an acute humanitarian need elsewhere in Iraq, the US appreciates the partnership of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy and Australia and the United Nations in helping provide relief. I expect more nations to step forward with more assistance in the weeks ahead."

While the airstrikes and other assistance created an opening for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to snatch back the initiative from ISIL forces, air attacks will not be enough to remove the terrorist organization from Iraq, Hagel said.

According to Hagel, the Defense Department is continuing to explore all options regarding ISIL, including continued assistance to moderate forces in Syria. And President Barack Obama's request to Congress for 5 billion dollars to establish an antiterrorism fund included 500 million dollars for moderate Syrian opposition forces who are also battling ISIL.

The murder of reporter James Foley by ISIL forces is just one example of the ruthless, barbaric ideology of the group, he noted.

"ISIL militants continue to massacre and enslave innocent people and persecute Iraq's Sunni, Shia and Kurdish and minority populations," added the defense secretary.

Acknowledging that the US doesn't have the luxury to write ISIL off just because they're operating in far-off countries, Hagel said the organization is absolutely an imminent threat to the safety of America and Europe. 
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/877565.shtml
22/8/14
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• US: We did not negotiate with Islamic militants

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf, said that the U.S. did not pay ransom to Islamic State militants for slain American journalist James Foley nor does the country make concession to militant groups.

Reports have circulated that Foley’s captors had demanded a ransom of $132 million for his release, however, the U.S. declined give the amount. 

"We do not make concessions to terrorists. That includes – we do not pay ransoms," Harf said. "One of the main ways ISIL has been funded throughout the conflict had been from ransom payments that others have paid. We believe just in 2014 that that’s in the millions of dollars."

She added that paying ransoms or making concessions would put Americans overseas at greater risk for kidnappings, as it would be an incentive for militants. 
"It’s in place to protect our citizens overseas and also to not provide terrorists with the funding they need to continue to carry out their heinous acts," she said. 
Harf also noted that Islamic State militants' funding has come from a number of sources including criminal activity in Iraq and Syria, bank heists, extortion, robberies, smuggling and kidnapping for ransom as well as raiding villages and towns.
She also added that the militants control some petroleum facilities in eastern Syria.....................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/377189--us-we-did-not-negotiate-with-islamic-militants
22/8/14
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