Kerry: US-led coalition has weakened Islamic State |
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Wednesday, 03 December 2014 16:43 |
JPNN|Brussels| Reuters | Dec 3, 2014|The US-led coalition has inflicted serious damage on Islamic State, carrying out around ![]() In Syria, he said Islamic State command facilities had been destroyed, oil infrastructure damaged and a siege of the border town of Kobani blocked. "It is much harder now than when we started for Daesh to assemble forces in strength, to travel in convoys and to launch concerted attacks," Kerry said. "No large Daesh unit can move forward aggressively without worrying what will come down on it from the skies." The US-chaired meeting was held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, but Kerry stressed it was not a Nato event. Washington wants to discuss political coordination among coalition members but otherwise officials have been vague about the aims of the meeting. Kerry praised the role of Arab states in the fight against Islamic State. Apart from Iraq, the meeting included representatives from Kuwait, Bahrain and Morocco. Kerry, who held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi before the meeting, also hailed "the significant progress" the new Baghdad government was making to implement a national programme and to unite against Islamic State. Kerry cited Baghdad's agreement this week with Kurds on oil exports and revenue and its order for the release of detainees held without formal charges. |