US: ‘Core coalition’ will fight Daish

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday the US is forming a "core coalition" to fight armed fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (known in the region by its Arabic acronym, Daish). He called for a show of broad support from allies and partners, but ruled out committing ground forces to the operation.

Kerry urged a group of ten allied nations to assist in addressing the danger of Daish, calling for a plan to be put into action to tackle the group before this month’s UN General Assembly meeting.

"We need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, to bolster the Iraqi security forces and others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own," Kerry told international leaders.

"Obviously I think that's a red line for everybody here - no boots on the ground."

The defence and foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark were meeting on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Wales to discuss a strategy for addressing the Sunni militant group that has taken over swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Nato leaders were “united in condemnation” of Daish’s “barbaric and despicable acts”.

“They should be very clear these terrorists that their threats will only harden our resolve to stand up for our values and to defeat them,” he said.