Australia urges Europe to join airstrikes against IS.

(Baonghean.vn) - On August 31, Australia called on more European countries to begin airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq as a response to the escalating migration crisis on the continent.

More than 40% of those currently seeking asylum in Europe are from Syria. Photo: AFP.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop asserted that jihadists are driving hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe and that expanding the coalition against them is essential. Speaking to reporters in Sydney, she said: “More than 40 percent of those currently seeking asylum in Europe are from Syria, and we need a united front to defeat the terrorist organizations that are displacing so many people. Around 60 countries are currently providing support in one way or another to the US-led coalition. But many more countries could contribute to the airstrikes that are proving effective in preventing ISIS from seizing territory from governments and perpetrating brutal violence.”

Bishop was even more blunt in an interview with The Australian published on August 31: “The countries bordering Syria and Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and others are bearing the brunt of millions of people fleeing their borders and then into Europe. That is why I believe Europeans must join the coalition airstrikes and efforts in Syria and Iraq.”

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop during her visit to Kuala Lumpur on August 5. Photo: AFP.

Currently, only a few European countries are conducting airstrikes against jihadist forces, including France and the UK, which are part of the coalition of Western and Arab powers.

While Canberra has so far only conducted airstrikes in Iraq and has not targeted Syria due to legal concerns, it says it is considering a request from the US, made in August, to expand the campaign to Syria.

In a related development, European Union (EU) interior ministers are expected to hold emergency talks on September 14 in Brussels regarding the escalating migration crisis on the continent, Luxembourg authorities said on August 30.

The number of migrants arriving at EU borders reached nearly 340,000 in the first seven months of 2015.

Thu Giang

(According to AFP)