In Saudi Arabia, Kerry Seeks Coalition Against Islamic State
September 11, 2014 4:47 AM
JEDDAH—
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Saudi Arabia for talks with Arab leaders on an international coalition against Islamic State militants. Secretary Kerry is following up on President Barack Obama's push to "degrade and destroy" the group in both Iraq and Syria.
It is important the Saudis are hosting this meeting as they will be a key element in this coalition both because of their size and economic importance, "but also because of their religious significance with Sunnis," according to a senior State Department official at the talks.
Overcoming the Sunni/Shi'ite divide in the region, and within Iraq, is a big part of making this coalition work, as Islamic State fighters are predominantly Sunni and the new government in Baghdad is led by a Shi'ite backed by Iran.
The senior State Department official says Secretary Kerry is asking Arab leaders to use nationally-owned media -- including Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya -- as well as their religious establishments to speak out against Islamic State extremism in hopes of undermining its appeal to young recruits.
In that push, Secretary Kerry is echoing President Obama's denunciation of the ISIL group as not "Islamic" because no religion condones the killing of innocents.
"ISIL claims to be fighting on behalf of Islam, but the fact is that its hateful ideology has nothing to do with Islam. ISIL is a manifestation of evil, a vicious terrorist organization, and it is a organization that achieves its goals only through violence, repression and destruction, fed by illicit funding and a stream of foreign fighters. It has seized territory and terrorized the people who live there regardless of their sect or ethnicity," said Kerry.
In addition to Saudi leaders, Kerry is meeting in Jeddah with officials from Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The senior State Department official says the coalition may need enhanced military basing and overflights for airstrikes against the Islamic State. Kerry is also asking for better efforts to stop individuals from sending money to extremist groups, as the U.S. official says financial enforcement by Kuwait and Qatar has been "spotty."
Kerry will push to stop ISIL oil smuggling through the Jordanian and Turkish borders, where the senior State Department official says authorities have pledged to do all they can to stop it, but Washington will "be working with them more intently over the next few weeks on intelligence sharing and border control."VOA
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