UK, US to host meeting on ISIL

LONDON, Jan 21 (KUNA) -- The London conference on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) this Thursday will be an important opportunity to take stock and assess the progress made so far in the joint efforts to tackle the terrorist group's poisonous ideology, the UK government has confirmed.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has lately said that he and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry are to host jointly the landmark meeting of members of the coalition against the ISIL group.
The deliberations which will last for one-day will involve foreign ministers from about 20 countries, including Arab states, to discuss the way forward on dismantling the Islamist militants who occupy parts of territory in Iraq and Syria, officials here said. Among those taking part in the meeting will also be representatives from the UN and the EU.
The gathering represents another important aspect of UK and US cooperation on the international sphere to ensure the global security and stability of the Middle East and the world at large, they pointed out.
The officials said the meeting will take place at the historic hospitality venue of Lancaster House in central London.
The conference comes only a fortnight after terrorist attacks in Paris by three militants claiming to act on behalf of Al-Qaeda and the ISIL group, commentators noted.
In a press statement last weekend, Hammond said: "The key active partners in the coalition, including our Arab partners, will gather in London to decide what more we need to do to degrade and defeat ISIL".
"It's vital that we consider what more we can all do to tackle the issue of foreign fighters, to clamp down on ISIL' financing, to step up humanitarian assistance and continue our coordinated military campaign," the minister emphasised.
In the meantime, US officials confirmed that while in London, Kerry will hold bilateral talks with Hammond.
He will then travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos taking place Thursday through Saturday to meet with global leaders, as well as business and civil society representatives.
The top US diplomat will deliver remarks at WEF's annual meeting this Friday, the US officials added.
On the other hand, the commentators said the London meeting comes after U.S. President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron held a successful summit in Washington this week as part of the consultations between the two key partners on international issues, including the Middle East.
Meanwhile the London conference will largely focus on five areas -- foreign fighters, the military campaign against ISIL targets, its sources of finances, strategic communications and humanitarian assistance, the official added.
Last June ISIL militants, already in control of much of Syria, swept through northern Iraq, seizing cities, slaughtering prisoners.
Britain has been part of the international military action against ISIL since the autumn, with RAF aircraft flying more than 100 bombing missions against targets inside Iraq.
The Prime Minister has ruled out direct military action inside Syria without giving MPs another vote in Parliament authorising strikes, but he has warned that the Islamic State will only be defeated if it is driven out of both Iraq and Syria.
For months, Britain has long promised to supply experts to help train moderate Syrian groups, who are struggling to resist the advance of ISIL inside Syria but these training courses, which would take place in a neighbouring country, such as Jordan, have not begun, the commentators said.
However, during the Anglo-US summit this month in Washington, Cameron and President Obama agreed that the training plan should go ahead now that the US Congress has authorised funding for the mission.
Government sources disclosed that British troops are expected to begin training Syrian opposition groups to fight Islamic State jihadists "by the end of March". (end) he.ibi