US, France Discuss Potential French Role in Coalition against ISIL

Local Editor

US and French military chiefs on Thursday discussed the possibility of France taking part in the American-led air war against ISIL in Syria, Military Secretary Chuck Hagel said.
But his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, would not confirm or deny that the subject came up during his talks at the Pentagon.
"Yes, we did discuss possibilities of France's involvement in Syria," Hagel said at a joint news conference.

Le Drian said France was participating in air strikes against ISIL in Iraq because Baghdad had made a formal request under the UN charter.

"France is there because of that request. And we are in the coalition because of that request," he said.

Pressed again on the Syria issue by French journalists after the news conference, Le Drian said: "I cannot answer a question that was not asked."
The minister has previously suggested that Paris had not ruled out an eventual role in the Syria campaign.

On Wednesday, the French military said it would deploy three more fighter jets and a naval ship to the Middle East to bolster support for Iraqi forces fighting the ISIL militants.
For his part, Hagel said: "This effort against ISIL with our coalition partners, both in Syria and Iraq, is going to be difficult and it's going to be long."
"And there were no misconceptions when we started this that there would be any quick finish," Hagel said.

Asked about the timeline for training Iraqi forces, Hagel said he didn't know how long it will take.

Le Drian said both countries had "excellent cooperation" between their spy agencies but sidestepped a question as to whether US missile strikes on al-Qaida militants near Aleppo on September 23 were based on French intelligence.
Both Hagel and Le Drian welcomed a vote by Turkey's parliament approving military action against the ISIL group.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team