Doug Beattie MC, Craigavon Councillor and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, has stated that there needs to be a strategy to eliminate the threat of genocidal terrorists following the rise of ‘Islamic State’. 

Mr Beattie said: 

“At the moment, it is the Yazidi and Christian minorities in Northern Iraq and surrounding areas who are under serious threat. But the rise and advance of the so called ‘Islamic State’ is not purely an issue for Kurdistan or even Iraq. They are very open about their desire to re-establish a caliphate in the Levant, and it is clear that they pose a serious regional threat. The IS can already easily slip between Syria and Iraq. The borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are not secure, and neither are Jordan’s. 

“There needs to be a strategy to eliminate the threat of these genocidal terrorists, and certainly both the United States and the United Kingdom have a role to play in and a responsibility to the region. 

“Sending in war planes is fine in the short term, and it is vital that the suffering of these persecuted minorities is alleviated as soon as possible. But a political and military solution from regional forces will be the only way to ensure the long term elimination of the threat from the IS. This was the approach taken in Somalia, where regional actors through an African Union mission have been securing the country against Jihadists. 

“It is important that we lend our expertise in the fight against the IS, and we ought to send people in as facilitators and trainers to assist regional forces, but ultimately it has to be the regional forces who have to step up and take this task on.”