Paris hosts conference on Islamic State militants

US Secretary of State John Kerry is among forty or so foreign ministers meeting in Paris today at a specially convened conference to discuss battling the militant group Islamic State, or ISIL.

In the run up Kerry has been trying to build up as broad a coalition as possible to take on the extremists.

The UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron has already discussed Britain’s role:

“We will work with the Iraqi government to ensure it represents all of its people and is able to tackle this threat effectively. We will support the Kurdish regional government while holding the frontline against ISIL. (…) British tornadoes and surveillance aircraft have been helping with intelligence gathering and logistics. This is not about British combat troops on the ground, it is about working with others to extinguish this terrorist threat.”

Footage of the murder of the latest hostage to be killed by Islamic State – British aid worker David Haines – has put Cameron under pressure to get much tougher with ISIL.

Mike Haines has given his reaction to his brother’s brutal death:

“The Muslim faith is not to blame forISIL, nor is it the fault of people of Middle Eastern descent. ISIL are extremely dangerous, and pose a threat to every nation, every religion, every politics and every person. Radicalisation remains the biggest threat to the wholesale safety of every person in the world.”

David Haines was taken hostage in Syria last year while working for a French aid agency.

Militants have have killed two US hostages in recent weeks and threatened to murder another British hostage currently held.

Source http://www.euronews.com/2014/09/15/paris-hosts-conference-on-islamic-state-militants/