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                      EU Beefs Up Response to Iraqi Crisis

   by Lisa Bryant

   European Union governments agreed to support individual country
   decisions to arm Kurdish fighters taking on Islamist State militants in
   Iraq. They also offered strong backing for the new Iraqi government.

   Meeting in Brussels Friday, the European Union foreign ministers
   endorsed decisions by individual EU members to send weapons to Iraqi
   Kurds who are fighting well-armed Islamist State fighters. The
   ministers also agreed to find ways to block oil sales by the Islamists,
   who control large chunks of Iraq and Syria, including oil fields.

   The emergency summertime meeting was called by Italy and France, which
   has already agreed to arm Kurdish fighters. Speaking after the talks,
   French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed satisfaction with the
   results.

   Fabius hailed the EU's commitment to shore up aid to Iraqi civilians
   and said the decision on arming Kurdish fighters was important. He said
   other countries have also expressed interest in sending weapons.

   For his part, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said London
   would consider favorably a request to supply arms to Kurdish forces. He
   also predicted the United Nations Security Council will adopt a
   resolution pushed by Britain (later Friday) that threatens sanctions
   against those who finance and otherwise support the Islamist
   insurgency.

   "This will be a major step showing the commitment of the international
   community to stamping out this threat and to supporting the new Iraqi
   government of [Prime Minister-designate Haider] al-Abadi in pushing
   back against ISIL," he said.

   Earlier this week, the European Union agreed to beef up its
   humanitarian aid to Iraq to nearly $23 million for this year. Foreign
   Ministers on Friday also discussed the situation in Ukraine and Gaza.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-beefs-up-response-to-iraqi-crisis/
   2415129.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-beefs-up-response-to-iraqi-crisis/2415129.html