Air Strikes Alone Won’t Defeat ISIS, Warns US

The campaign will require ground forces, too, he said at a European security conference.

The United States warned today of the need to find Syrian or Arab ground forces to take on ISIS, saying the militant group would not be defeated by air strikes alone.

Speaking to reporters at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters following a meeting with foreign ministers of the alliance Wednesday, Kerry said: “I called on every North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally to step up support in the fight against Daesh, striking at the organization’s core in Syria and Iraq”.

Kerry was in Greece on the final leg of a week-long trip to Europe, where he held a series of talks on the war in Syria and efforts to combat Islamic State militants in their strongholds there. The thinking is that peace between the government and moderates would allow the worldwide community to focus military efforts exclusively on defeating IS, al-Qaida’s Syria affiliate and other extremist groups.

Russian Federation and Iran, Assad’s main allies, have said it will be up to the Syrian people to decide on Assad’s role at a future presidential election.

Diplomats hope to start direct discussions between Syria’s government and the opposition in the next few weeks.

“Just imagine how quickly this scourge could be eliminated, in a matter of literally months, if we were able to secure that kind of political resolution”.

The U.S. has spoken generally of degrading and eventually destroying the group.

Lavrov was to meet later Thursday in Belgrade with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed never to forget Turkey’s downing of one of Moscow’s warplanes, as he lashed out once again at the leadership in Ankara over the incident. Western officials say Russian jets have hit mainly other anti-Assad rebels.