France may join Assad forces to fight ISIS

In order to fight Isis, “there must be two measures: bombings… and ground troops who can not be ours, but who should be of the (opposition) Free Syrian Army, Sunni Arab forces, and why not regime forces too”, Fabius told RTL radio.

The strikes came as France’s foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, declared that destroying the IS headquarters and “neutralizing and eradicating” the extremist group is the main objective of the global campaign.

Fabius later clarified his comments, saying such co-operation must be part of a political transition in which Assad would step down.

“But this requires a fundamental change in French policy on Syria”, Moualem said at a news conference in Moscow, without elaborating. He spoke after a week of intense diplomacy capped by the French president’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

That process faces enormous hurdles, including the fate of President Bashar Assad and agreeing on which armed factions in Syria should be allowed to take part in negotiations.

“He asked us to draw up a map of forces that are not terrorists and are fighting Daesh [ISIL]”.

Meanwhile, Germany said it would join the military campaign against ISIL in Syria by deploying Tornado reconnaissance jets, refueling aircraft and a frigate to the region, after a direct appeal from close partner France for Berlin to do more. Syria, it cannot be that he [Assad] who is at the origin of 300,000 deaths and millions of refugees can lead [Syria]… “This is a matter of determination and will”, Fabius said.

Fabius has previously accused the Syrian leader of “butchering” his own people and has repeatedly said that “Assad and the terrorists are the different side of the same coin”. IS has said it was behind both the Paris attacks and the downing of the Russian passenger plane. “I think on that we are progressing”.