UK must work with Assad to fight ISIL: ex-general

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‘UK’s former army chief Richard Dannatt has said Britain must cooperate with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to combat the ISIL Takfiri group.

Dannatt, Britain’s former chief of general staff, said on Friday that a conversation had to be held with al-Assad regarding fighting the terrorist group.

“I think whether it is above the counter or below the counter, a conversation has got to be held with [Assad] because, if there is any question of airstrikes over Syria, it has got to be with … Assad’s … approval,” said Dannatt.

The appeal comes as Britain is openly supporting militant groups in Syria to help topple the Syrian president’s government.

Dannatt also said the “time will come” when Prime Minister David Cameron’s government decides that British military planes should conduct airstrikes against the terrorist group.

“I think the time will come when we will decide that our Tornado jets operating in the region won’t just take photographs and produce intelligence,” said Dannatt.

The former army chief, furthermore, believed more British special forces may be needed to be deployed to Iraq to train Kurdish troops, who are fighting the ISIL militants.

Dannatt’s comments came a day after US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said the ISIL militants cannot be defeated unless the US or its allies attack them in Syria.

The US military have conducted numerous airstrikes against ISIL militants in Iraq since President Barack Obama authorized the bombings earlier this month.

The ISIL terrorists currently control parts of Syria and Iraq’s northern and western regions, where they have been committing heinous crimes in the captured areas, including the mass execution of civilians and Iraqi security forces.’

Article from Press TV

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