Europe Needs To Do More In Daesh Fight, US Says

Washington, 16 Jumadil Akhir 1437/ 25 March 2016 (MINA) – Terror attacks in Brussels earlier this week points to the need for Europe to engage more in the Daesh war, according to the head of U.S. defense.

“The thing that I think the Brussels event is going to further signify to Europeans is that they, as we have been accelerating our campaign to defeat ISIL in Syria in Iraq and elsewhere, they need to accelerate their efforts and join us,” Ash Carter told CNN Wednesday, using an alternative acronym for the terrorist group, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

He noted that the U.S. accelerated its anti-Daesh campaign before the Paris attacks.

The top defense official added that a military effort is essential but not sufficient because there are “law enforcement, an intelligence and homeland security dimension to this campaign”.

Carter’s comments came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks earlier in the day that Turkish authorities had captured and handed over one of the Brussels attackers to Belgian authorities.

Turkey has been asking for greater intelligence sharing in order to prevent the flow of foreign fighters from Europe to Turkey who are en-route to Syria. Michael Hayden, who headed the CIA and NSA, also reiterated the need for Europe to share intelligence and work together, along with the U.S., to overcome terrorism. “

“Even in like NATO, intelligence remains a national as opposed to alliance responsibility,” he said. (T/P010/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)