World

Putin, at UN, calls for broad coalition against IS

Russian president says it's an enormous mistake to not cooperate with Syrian group fighting terrorists face-to-face

Afp September 28, 2015

russia 039 s president vladimir putin addresses the 70th session of the united nations general assembly september 28 2015 at the united nations in new york afp photo

Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly September 28, 2015 at the United Nations in New York. AFP PHOTO

UNITED STATES: Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Monday for a "broad coalition" to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, in his address to the UN General Assembly.

Putin likened the coalition to the "anti-Hitler" alliance that fought together during World War II and said Muslim countries "should play a key role."

"We must address the problems that we are all facing and create a broad anti-terror coalition," Putin said in his address, his first to the world body in a decade.

Read: IS group 'tentacles' in Afghanistan growing concern: Putin

Putin took to the podium after US President Barack Obama offered to work with Russia and Iran on ending the carnage in Syria, but slammed support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

The Russian leader took aim at the West's refusal to cooperate with Assad's forces to stamp out the Islamic State, which now controls huge swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

It is an "enormous mistake to not cooperate with the Syrian group which is fighting the terrorists face-to-face," he said.

"We must acknowledge that nobody other than President Assad's armed forces are truly fighting the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations in Syria," Putin added.

Washington has insisted that Assad must leave power as a pre-requisite for any settlement to the conflict, while European powers have softened their stance, signalling he could stay on in an interim role.

Putin was due to hold his first meeting with Obama in over two years later Monday, on the sideline of the world gathering.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was also expected to defend Tehran's support for Assad in his address to the assembly later on Monday.

COMMENTS (2)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 8 years ago | Reply Considering the fact that the so-called Islamic state (IS) has become a threat to both Shia and Sunni states, and its influence has spread as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is in the interest of Muslim states and indeed for all states who seek peace on earth, to join a common fight against IS. It is therefore heartening that the Russian President Vladimir Putin, during an address at the United Nations, announced a broad coalition to fight against IS, starting with Russia, Iran and Syria, and asked other countries to join it, especially the Muslim countries who would be worst affected with the expansion of IS. In a speech made before the Russian President, US President Barack Obama offered to join the coalition, but stating that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could not remain in office since Obama holds him responsible for the death of more than 200,000 Syrians as well as forcing millions of Syrians to seek refuge in the neighbouring countries and beyond. However, the fact is that the trouble in Syria was started by the western countries under the leadership of the United States in which unfortunately some Muslim countries also played a part. Also, the creation of Islamic State is a direct consequence of the destabilization of Iraq by George Bush and his allies who disbanded the Saddam Hussain’s mostly Sunni army and imposed on Iraq the Sunni-hating Nuri al-Maliki, who motivated the ex-Saddam soldiers and yet others to rise and take advantage of destabilization of Iraq and Syria as well as Libya. I hope that despite being fully occupied with problems at home, the Pakistan’s armed forces will offer to join in significant numbers the coalition against IS which has also become quite active in Afghanistan, with Pakistan being the next target. It is therefore in our own interest to fight IS and try to finish it in Syria and Iraq, which will also have a demoralizing effect, and stop its growth in our region. Karachi

The Truth | 8 years ago | Reply Obama and Putin both want to see muslim countries to play KEY ROLE which in turns becomes self destruction for muslims. Kindly don't be blindfolded enough to think what both of these individuals actually want to see which is nothing but the destruction of Islam, its values and culture.

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