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IRAQ

France calls on EU to arm Iraqi Kurds

France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has called on European nations to "mobilize" and to respond to the “call for help” by arming Iraqi Kurds against radical Islamist fighters.

France calls on EU to arm Iraqi Kurds
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has suggested that weapons could be supplied to Iraq's Kurds. Photo: Gali Tibbon/AFP

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday called on the European Union to "mobilise" to respond to appeals from Iraq's Kurds for arms to fight Islamic State jihadists.

In a letter to EU foreign affairs supremo Catherine Ashton, Fabius said: "It is crucial that the European Union mobilises from today to respond to this appeal for help.

Fabius, who has just returned from a trip to Iraq where he met Iraqi Kurdish president Massud Barzani, explained that the latter had stressed "the urgent need for weapons and ammunition that would allow them to confront and  beat the terrorist group Islamic State."

"I would be very grateful if you could urgently mobilise the member states and the European institutions to respond," Fabius wrote to Ashton.

"It seems to me that a special meeting of the council of (European) foreign ministers would be desirable," he added.

During his visit to Iraq on Sunday to oversee a shipment of humanitarian aid from France, Fabius said the Kurdish authorities "must receive, in a sure way, equipment that will allow them to defend themselves and to counterattack."

"We will look into that over the coming days but in liaison with the Europeans," Fabius told France 2 television.

France and Britain have pledged support for a US-led operation helping Iraqi civilians – many of them from the Yazidi minority – who are fleeing a murderous advance by Islamic State (IS) militants.

While all three Western countries are providing emergency aid for the besieged civilians, the United States has also been conducting air strikes on IS positions.

Fabius reiterated his call for "all the political leaders in Iraq to hold talks to find a quick political solution that is acceptable to all parts of the country."

Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini also called earlier on Monday for a special EU meeting to discuss "Iraq, Gaza and Libya, three crises which concern Europe directly."

"We're not talking about military intervention but providing support, even of a military sort, to the Kurdish government," Mogherini said.

Fabius previously said that Kurdish and Iraqi leaders have stressed that the IS possesses "very sophisticated weapons" looted from Iraq's retreating army.

The minister highlighted the plight of fleeing Yazidis around their main hub of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

"There are thousands of people on Sinjar mountain as we speak who, if we don't parachute in supplies, will die," he said.

"In two villages there are a thousand people surrounded, and 500 women in a prison threatened with rape. The caliphate (IS) has told them: 'You have 48 hours to renounce your religion or we'll kill you.' If that isn't called genocide, I don't know what to call it."

Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking minority following an ancient faith rooted in Zoroastrianism. The IS fighters, who want to establish an extremist Sunni Muslim state, view them as "devil worshippers".

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IRAQ

Danish soldiers leave Iraq amid Middle East tensions

100 Danish soldiers arrived in Kuwait on Thursday after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that they were to temporarily relocate from the al-Asad base in Iraq.

Danish soldiers leave Iraq amid Middle East tensions
A file photo showing Danish Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen meeting military personnel. Photo: Niels Christian Vilmann/Ritzau Scanpix

The al-Asad base was one of two military bases hit by Iranian missile strikes earlier this week. The strikes were carried out by Iran in retaliation for the killing of its major general Qassem Soleimani by the United States last week in Baghdad.

Denmark’s defence minister Trine Bramsen wrote on social media that the soldiers had landed in Kuwait. That was confirmed by the Danish armed forces (Forsvaret) on its website.

The 100 soldiers were transported to Kuwait by a Danish Hercules transport aircraft.

“Our soldiers have landed in Kuwait. Their safety is the first priority. I hope they can continue the fight against Isil [terror group Islamic State (Isis), ed.] soon,” Bramsen tweeted.

The announcement from the Danish government came after Iran attacked two military bases in Iraq on Wednesday night, including the al-Asad base, where 133 Danish soldiers are stationed. Danish personnel at the base are involved in training Iraqi forces.

The Danish government has taken the view that, under current circumstances, its personnel cannot continue the work in Iraq.

“I am pleased that the relocation has taken place quickly and on schedule. And I have great respect for the soldiers still at the base, where they continue to carry out important duties,” Bramsen said via the Danish armed forces’ website.

In addition to the 133 soldiers at the al-Asad base, Denmark also has eight staff officers at Nato's Mission Iraq in Baghdad. The eight personnel have also been temporarily moved to Kuwait.

READ ALSO: Denmark parliament to discuss presence of soldiers in Iraq

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