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10:00 GMT
PARIS, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- The French President Francois Hollande confirmed Thursday that the Assad regime will never be considered as partner in counterterrorism efforts in Syria and Iraq, calling on the international community to realize the danger of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) on the region.
"A large alliance is needed, but let's be clear. Assad is not a partner in the struggle against terrorism," he said in a speech, calling Assad an ally of the jihadists.
Hollande said France would increase its support to Iraqi groups and reiterated calls for an international conference "to organise the co-ordination of international action against the Islamic State on humanitarian, security and military fronts."
Syrian rebel forces have been fighting Assad for more than three years with political backing from the West in a war that has cost around 190,000 lives. However, France last week said it had provided weapons to the "moderate" Syrian opposition.
Since June, the Islamic State militant group (IS), also known as ISIS or ISIL, has captured large areas of Iraq and Syria and now controls a territory roughly the size of the United Kingdom, stretching from Syriaآ’s second city, Aleppo, to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Hollande reiterated his plans for an international conference to help coordinate international action against Islamic State. "To fight Islamic State, the first condition is for Iraqis to unite," he said.
Hollande also said there would be talks at the UNSC later this month to see how states across the world could prevent "young fanatics" from joining the ranks of the Islamic State. (end)
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