Beheading of US Journalist Triggers Outrage: France Moots Joint Assault on Islamic State
Alarmed by the horror unleashed by Islamic State, exemplified in the brutal execution of U.S. journalist James Foley, French President Francois Hollande has called for an immediate multilateral conference to work out a broader strategy to take on the Islamic State insurgents entrenched in Iraq and Syria.
The French President called for the active involvement of all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and other regional powers including Arab states and Iran.
A Reuters report quoted Hollande telling Le Monde newspaper that merely debating intervention or non-intervention is becoming pointless. A global strategy to fight the IS group is essential because it has amassed significant financing, sophisticated weapons and territory. It is a threat to all countries.
Obama Hints Hard Action
Expressing extreme revulsion on the journalist's beheading, the U.S. President Barack Obama vowed that United States would not retract from action against the IS ultra and will continue to do whatever is required to protect its citizens.
Obama described the beheading of Foley as an act of violence that has shocked the conscience of all people. The IS militants do not represent any religion. They are killing innocent civilians, women and children. The acts of rape and slavery are also there. Their victims belong to all creeds including Muslims, Christians and religious minorities. No faith teaches people to massacre innocents. Not even God would stand for what they did on the US journalist.
Obama was speaking to reporters at Edgartown in Massachusetts. Later Obama spoke with Foley's family.
UK Will Track Killer
Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he was not surprised at the involvement of a British militant in the beheading of the US journalist. Too many British nationals are fighting in Iraq and Syria. But the UK intelligence services will at both sides of the Atlantic to establish the video's authenticity, and identify the individual and locate him, Hammond told Sky News.
Iraq Seeks Support
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari urged the world community to support his country against the designs of Islamic State, which is threatening the world. On Wednesday, Germany and Italy promised arms to Iraqi Kurds in bolstering the military capabilities to fight Islamic State ultras in Iraq.