US, France to step up military operations against ISIL

They called on Russian Federation to join the worldwide efforts, but only if Moscow ends its support for Syria’s embattled president.

Hollande and Putin agreed on increasing intelligence sharing, intensifying their airstrikes against IS in Syria and cooperating on selecting targets – two days after Turkey downed a Russian warplane near the Syrian border.

Russia would be prepared to “create a joint staff” to fight the Islamic State in which Moscow would work with France, the United States and even Turkey, the Russian ambassador to France said Wednesday.

Russian jets commenced precision airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.

But, Obama said, the United States already has a robust coalition of 65 countries fighting against the Islamic State.

The US military has backed up Turkey’s claim that Turkish pilots warned the Russian jet 10 times – but failed to get a response – before shooting it down.

“It is crucial in that period to avoid any risk, any incident, and prevent any escalation”, Hollande said.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said Turkey has a right to defend its territory and airspace, and that the incident pointed to ongoing problems with Russia’s military operations in Syria, BBC News reports. Several Republican candidates for the November 2016 presidential election have also said the refugees pose a risk.

The two countries are now looking ahead at what more can be done to push back the terror group.

The attacks in the heart of Europe sparked fears of terrorism in the US, as well as an outpouring of solidarity with the French.

“Viva la France”, Obama added.

“And targeting venues where people come together from around the world, killing citizens of almost 20 countries, including America, this was an attack on the very idea that people of different races and religions and backgrounds can live together in peace”, he said. “But that’s not enough”.

Investigators haven’t detailed what they believe his role was in the coordinated series of attacks, but Molins said Abdeslam may have dropped the suicide bombers off at the Stade de France, then made his way to another Paris neighborhood.

Both leaders said they would boost support for forces battling Islamic State on the ground, while continuing to rule out any ground campaign.

Germany, for its part, faces parliamentary and constitutional constraints on striking ISIS militarily but is poised to boost its training support for the Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq and will send forces to Mali to support a United Nations peacekeeping mission and to relieve pressure on France, which had been carrying much of the burden of anti-terrorist efforts there.

Obama is calling it a “barbaric terrorist group”.

The military planning comes amid a parallel diplomatic effort to ease Assad from office.

He called the global coalition for closer cooperation with Russian Federation in the conflict zone, as Russian Federation is an integral part of anti-ISIL fight. Obama suggested the solution hinged on Assad “choosing not to run” in the next Syrian elections.