Paris: In order to revamp and refine the strategy against the Islamic State, over 20 anti-ISIS coalition nations are set to meet in Paris with the main objective of helping Iraq take on the ISIS in the aftermath of fall of Ramadi.
Ahead of the meet, Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi complained that Iraq was not getting enough support from the coalition members to fight the ISIS, adding that Islamic State's gains in the country were a "failure" on part of the entire world.
Talking to the reporters ahead of the meeting, Abadi lamented the lack of enough ground and air support saying, "Air support is not enough. There is too little surveillance. Daech (Islamic State) is mobile and move in very small groups. It’s not enough," Reuters quoted him as saying.
Not only this, he also attacked the coalition countries' political initiative asking why there were so many ISIS fighters from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Egypt.
"To be honest, we need a lot of political work on the part of the coalition countries. We need an explanation why there are so many terrorists from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Egypt ... European countries. If it is due to the political situation in Iraq, why are Americans, French and German (fighters) in Iraq?" Reuters quoted him as saying.
Iraqi PM's comments come as the coalition nations are set to urge Iraq to include Sunnis politically.
The talk will be attended by 20 nations that include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, France, etc.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who broke his leg near French Alps, won't attend the meeting in person.
He will however participate in the crucial the meeting via phone, said John Kirby.
Kerry arrived at Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday evening to get the surgical treatment for his broken femur bone.
@JohnKerry arrived Mass Gen hospital. Will participate in counter-ISIL mtg via phone tmrw AM before surgical procedure to set broken leg.
— John Kirby (@statedeptspox) June 2, 2015
The anti-ISIS conference in Paris comes as jihadists have made a series of gains in Iraq, the most prominent of them being the takeover of Ramadi, which is said to be a great strategic loss.
The fall of Ramadi has also raised questions at US' strategy in dealing with the ISIS as the anti-ISIS coalition's air strikes seem to having no major impact on the extremists.
Leaders from over 20 nations will be meeting on Paris on Tuesday to discuss how Iraq can give a major fightback and take back occupied areas from the ISIS.
The coalition members are expected to push Iraq to be more inclusive of Sunnis so as to fill the sectarian fissures that run deep in the Shiite majority country.
The foreign ministry of France has described the sectarian issue in Iraq's Sunni areas as very “fragile” as the government has to depend on Iran-backed Shia volunteers to fight the ISIS, the BBC reported.
At the conference, therefore, the leaders will discuss "lasting political solutions in order to resolve the Iraqi crisis," the BBC quoted the French foreign ministry.
Besides Iraq, the conference will also talk about Syria and the need to protect the Roman-era ruins of Palmyra there which has been invaded by the ISIS.
The ISIS has in past destroyed ancient sites in Iraq like Nimrud.
