Opposition conservative lawmakers argued in France’s Parliament Tuesday against joining the airstrikes, saying it would not make a sufficient difference on the ground.
But Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on France-Inter radio Wednesday that the French strikes would go forward "in the coming weeks, as soon as we have well-identified targets”.
French fighter jets have been carrying out airstrikes in Iraq but had stayed away from Syria, amid fears that it could inadvertently strengthen President Bashar Assad’s position. French President François Hollande has consistently stated that there is no room for Assad in a post-civil war Syria. However, Le Drian said the IS group’s growing presence in Syria over recent months had forced Paris to take action.
The French president confirmed on Tuesday that strikes against the IS group in Syria "would be necessary".
Airstrikes "necessary"
“We are part of the coalition in Iraq [against the IS group],” he said at a news conference. "We started reconnaissance flights [over Syria] to enable us to consider air strikes and they will be necessary in Syria."
The United States, Canada, Turkey and Gulf States have already been taking part in strikes on IS militant positions in Syria, and were joined on Wednesday by Australia, according to an announcement by the Canberra government.
On Tuesday, France’s defence minister told parliament the IS jihadist group had made "very significant progress" in Syria, especially in the northern region of Aleppo.
"There is an extremely strong offensive taking place on the small town of Marea, which if it succeeded would wipe out what we still call the Free Syrian Army or the national Syrian coalition, or what is left of it," he said.
Four million Syrians have fled the brutal four-year-old civil war, which has seen Assad's government -- backed by Iran and Russia -- bombard rebels and civilians alike.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
france24.com
16/9/15
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U.S.-led coalition's progress against Islamic State 'very modest': Russia...
ReplyDeleteThe Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic state has little to show for itself, a year after its establishment.
"A legitimate question arises - what results have we got from sending into the region military forces of those countries, which are so fond of counting foreign aircraft overflights," the ministry said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, the achievements of the coalition in the fight against (the Islamic state) look very modest."
Reuters