US, France to step up strikes in Syria, Iraq

“We’re here today to declare that the U.S. and France stand united in total solidarity to deliver justice to these terrorists”, Obama said during a joint press conference with the French president.

Hollande was in Washington as part of a frantic week of shuttle diplomacy as he tries to rally global support for increased strikes against Islamic State, which claimed the Paris attacks.

Obama, appearing alongside Hollande, agreed to what the French leader called a “joint response” to target terrorists’ financial networks, escalate airstrikes and ramp up efforts in Syria and Iraq where ISIS has gained ground.

At stake are French regional elections in two weeks, and the presidential primaries next year, which are pushing Mr Hollande to demonstrate his influence and leadership in the fight against ISIS. “We also think, as Francois said, that there may be new openness on the part of other coalition members to help resource and provide additional assistance, both to the coalition as a whole and to the local forces on the ground”, Obama said. Without a sharing of information, a common course of action and a coherent fighting force, the Islamist group will remain and the situation could even evolve into a wider conflict. He concluded that the incident resulted from an ongoing problem with Russian operations in a sense that they are being conducted close to the Turkish border.

“I believe the decision about the President of Syria should be in the hands of the Syrian people”, he said, adding that Assad’s army is “an ally in the fight against terrorism”.

According to CNN Politics, the presidents are considering intensifying the attacks on ISIS in Syria and Iraq, especially after the Paris attacks, which seemed to have opened a new phase of the war on terror. The White House said the president was told there is now no specific, credible threat to the US homeland from Islamic State.

“We can not, and we will not succumb to fear”. Among issues that have led to the scrapping of business and energy deals and a chill in ties have been Russia’s bombing of Turkmen rebels in Syria, who are openly supported by Turkey.

Calling ISIS a “scourge” that “must be defeated”, Obama said the US stood with France after the brutal massacre in Paris.

“France isn’t looking for more than the U.S. can accept and welcome, which is more Russian strikes against Islamic State and less Russian strikes against rebels”, de Gilbert said. France’s ambassador to the U.S., Gerard Araud, tweeted on Tuesday evening that “Hollande has confirmed the sanctions will be maintained as long as the Minsk agreements are not implemented”.

Both Hollande and Obama reiterated their determination to see Assad step down in order to give Syria a chance for peace, with Hollande saying “it should be as soon as possible”.

Turkey’s military said Wednesday it did not know the warplane it shot down was Russian and it was ready for “all kinds of cooperation” with Russia, after Moscow called the incident a “planned provocation”. “We agree that Russian Federation could play a more constructive role if it shifts the focus of its strikes to defeating ISIL”.