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08:57 GMT
PARIS, Sept 15 (KUNA) -- French President Francois Hollande and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Massoum on Monday kicked off a major international conference here with a call to help Iraq and to fight against the extremist group, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
In his opening remarks, the French leader recalled the brutality of the extremists operating in Syria and in northern Iraq, calling the militants "terrorists who attack the weak, women and children and minorities."
Hollande said there were almost 30 countries attending the conference, in addition to representatives of the Arab League, the European Union and the United Nations.
Kuwait is represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and all GCC countries are attending, as well all members of the UN Security Council and many European and Arab nations.
"It is the international community that is present here in Paris for Iraq," Hollande said.
He said the conference had "one single objective" which was to bring political support to Iraq in its fight against Daash (the Arabic name for the ISIL), which has become a threat, not just for Iraq and the region, but for the whole world. But he noted that "Iraq has need of military support" and he called for "coordinated action" from Iraq's friends to answer the military needs of Baghdad.
"The threat is global, the response must be global," the French leader said.
He said that support must be given to Iraq on a number of levels, political, humanitarian and also in the fight against Iraq and he reaffirmed "France will do its part." But he also urged support for Jordan and Lebanon, who have been affected by regional turmoil and are bearing the refugee brunt from the Syrian conflict. "The problem of Daash ... is everyone's business," Hollande said.
While addressing mainly the problems in Iraq, Hollande warned that the ongoing conflict in Syria "where Daash was born, required a lasting solution" and he urged support for democratic forces fighting against the Damascus regime to give them the ability to negotiate and strengthen their position.
Speaking from the podium alongside Hollande, Iraqi President Fuad Massoum expressed gratitude to all participants and to France for organizing Monday's conference.
Massoum said the ISIL was "a terrorist movement which is criminal...and (its) victims are from all ethnic and religious groups." He said the new "unity government" in Iraq was "seeking the will to fight against terrorists."
The ISIL "kills elderly men women and also children...they do this in full view and do not deny the presence of foreign volunteers from Europe."
Massoum warned tha thousands of families had been taken hostage by the radical groups. They have one policy, Massoum said: "Either you are with us, or we kill you."
He urged participants to help stop this scourge and protect Iraq and its unity. (pickup previous)
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