UN set to vote on 'all necessary measures' to fight Daesh

The UN Security Council will vote later Friday on a French-drafted resolution that would authorize countries to "take all necessary measures" to fight the Islamic State group.

The vote on the resolution at the 15-member council will take place one week after the devastating Paris attacks that left at least 130 dead and was claimed by IS extremists.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre indicated that the measure would garner unanimous support in the council, telling reporters that there is a "good spirit, a good vibe around the table."

The draft resolution does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorizes the use of force.

But French diplomats maintain that it will provide important international political support to the anti-IS campaign that has been ramped up since the attacks in Paris a week ago.

The draft resolution calls on member states "that have the capacity to do so to take all necessary measures, in compliance with international law... on the territory under the control of ISIL, also known as Daesh, in Syria and Iraq."

The text urges governments to "redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts" committed by IS and other extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda.

Diplomats said the vote was expected in the early afternoon, around 1:00 pm (1800 GMT).

"The exceptional and unprecedented threat posed by this group to the entire international community requires a strong, united and unambiguous response from the Security Council," Delattre said.

France's bid for UN backing came after Russia submitted a revised text of a separate draft resolution that calls for fighting the IS group with Syria's consent.

That draft has been rejected by the United States, Britain and France, which are refusing to cooperate with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, whom they accuse of fomenting extremism by resorting to brutality.
Source: AFP