Syria: U.S Failed to Weaken ISIS

Syria: U.S Failed to Weaken ISIS
Sat Nov 29, 2014 10:14:19

Syria's foreign minister said U.S.-led air strikes had failed to weaken so-called “Islamic State” it in Syria and the terrorist group would not be tackled unless Turkey was forced to tighten border controls, Reuters reports.

A U.S.-led alliance started attacking ISIS targets in Syria in September as part of a wider effort to destroy the al Qaeda offshoot that has seized areas of the country and neighboring Iraq.

"All the indications say that (Islamic State) today, after two months of coalition air strikes, is not weaker," Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said in an interview with the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV broadcast on Friday.

US-led airstrikes in Syria against the IS began as part of a larger effort to battle the terrorist group after it had seized vast amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria. Despite carrying out airstrikes in Syria, Washington has refused to work with the country’s government, stating that it wants to see Bashar Assad ousted. Turkey shares the latter stance with the US.

"If the Security Council and Washington do not force Turkey to control its borders then all of this action will not eliminate (Islamic State)," Moualem said, referring to foreign terrorists who have crossed into Syria from Turkey.

Turkey has a 900 km frontier with Syria and thousands of foreign fighters to have joined the terrorist militants in their self-proclaimed caliphate, carved out of eastern Syria and western Iraq.

Moualem said Turkish calls for the establishment of a no-fly zone in northern Syria would lead to the partition of the country, adding that Turkey had designs on Syrian territory.

Turkey has repeatedly calling a no-fly zone should be put in place to create safe areas in Syria.

Turkey's idea has received a cool reception from its allies. A top NATO general said this week the idea was not being considered.

Moualem held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Black Sea as part of a renewed Russian diplomatic push to restart peace talks on Syria.

Russia rejects calls by Assad's Syrian, Western and Arab opponents for his swift departure.

"After our discussions with the Russian side we agreed that the dialogue will be with the national opposition that is not linked to the outside," Moualem said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations reported on Wednesday that the US-led coalition has killed 865 people since the start of the airstrikes in Syria, at least 50 of them civilians.  But this attacks can’t stop by itself the terrorist from killing innocent Iraqi and Syrian people.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also warned that the strikes alone can’t defeat the militant group.

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