France sees Syrian regime participating in anti-ISIS fight


French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Syrian troops could fight against ISIS after a regime change.
PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday (Nov 27) he could envisage Syrian regime troops taking part in the fight to crush the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks.

In order to fight ISIS, "there must be two measures: bombings... and ground troops who cannot be ours, but who should be of the (opposition) Free Syrian Army, Sunni Arab forces, and why not regime forces too," Fabius told RTL radio.

Fabius later clarified his position, telling AFP he meant that Syrian government troops could take part in the fight against ISIS after a change of regime.

It could happen "within the context of a political transition - and only in this context," he said.

The principal target of military efforts remains Raqa, the Syrian city that is the stronghold of ISIS, Fabius said. Russian and French jets have targeted the town in recent days.

"For us it is one of the main military targets, even the main one, because it is the nerve centre of Daesh, and the attacks against France were planned from there," Fabius said, using another name for ISIS.

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