Kerry talks tough to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation: do more to fight Islamic State

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to step up their presence in the fight against “Islamic State” (IS) terrorists on Wednesday at a meeting of 28 foreign ministers from the bloc in Brussels.

Kerry said he asked the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation foreign ministers to do more to strike at IS’s core in Iraq and Syria and strangle its global networks.

The 71-year-old also said that the Iraqi government was told in advance about America’s decision to send additional special forces to the country to intensify operations against the militant group by training Syrian rebel forces. “As long as they’re focused on Daesh (Islamic State) and as long they are genuine in wanting to be part of implementing the Geneva (accords), they can be an extremely constructive and important player in reaching a solution”, Kerry said after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation talks in Brussels.

The call for more help comes as the U.S. announces the deployment of special operations forces in Iraq.

Mr Kerry said other countries would come forward with new plans after further discussions at home. The effort to expand operations, which has gained steam since last month’s attack in Paris, will require more medical facilities, intelligence gathering, military support structure, refueling operation, greater aerial defenses and other action, he said.

“We are going to defeat the efforts by these nihilistic, semi criminal – not semi criminal, completely criminal, and abhorrent activities that are challenging civil life itself”, Kerry said, according to the Washington Post.

Kerry also encouraged Russian Federation to cooperate with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in the anti-IS campaign.

“The vast majority of their sorties are still against the moderate opposition and those forces that oppose Assad”, Breedlove said.