US will form a "core coalition" to counter Islamic State militants

Newport Wales: The United States said on Friday it was forming a “core coalition” to battle Islamic State militants in Iraq, calling for broad support from allies and partners but ruling out committing ground forces. [caption id=“attachment_1699003” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] “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,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told a meeting of 10 nations. “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 met 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. REUTERS