Ten Arab States Sign US Pact To 'Destroy' IS

Ten Arab states have signed up to US President Barack Obama's campaign against Islamic State (IS) militants.

Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and six Gulf Arab states said they would help stop the flow of funds and fighters to the group and possibly join US military action.

The joint communique was released after a day of talks on Thursday between US Secretary of State John Kerry and his regional counterparts in the Saudi city of Jeddah. 

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also joined the pact. 

Mr Kerry visted Baghdad on Wednesday to back a new power-sharing government

"The participating states agreed to do their share in the comprehensive fight against ISIL, including," said the communique, "as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a co-ordinated military campaign" against the militants.

They also explored strategies to "destroy" the group "wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria".

Mr Kerry said the Arab states would play a crucial role in the coalition, though he added that no member of the alliance planned to send ground troops.

US officials said the Secretary of State also wanted approval to make more use of military bases in the region and fly more warplanes overhead.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal arrives to meet Mr Kerry

Those issues, however, were not mentioned in the communique.

Nato ally Turkey attended the meeting, but did not sign the final agreement. Ankara had its own reasons for not joining the rest, says Sky News correspondent Dominic Waghorn in Washington DC.

Iran, the regional Shia powerhouse, swiftly criticised the Gulf Arab states it blames for nurturing the Sunni militancy that led to Islamic State's rise.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham, speaking on state television about the US-led alliance, said there were "severe misgivings about its determination to sincerely fight the root causes of terrorism".

Mr Obama declared on Wednesday that he would lead an alliance to root out Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq.

IS militants swept from Syria through northern Iraq this summer

His long-term strategy includes more airstrikes against its fighters in Iraq and launching strikes against them in Syria for the first time.

But this plan has prompted concern from Russia, which has backed President Bashar al Assad.

Moscow's foreign ministry said the prospect of US raids in Syria would require a UN Security Council mandate or be considered an act of aggression.

As part of his strategy, Mr Obama also envisages boosting the Iraqi military and moderate Syrian rebels to allow them to reclaim territory from IS.

The US has already launched more than 150 airstrikes against the Sunni militants in Iraq over the past month.

IS, already in control of much of Syria, swept through northern Iraq this summer, seizing cities, slaughtering civilians and proclaiming a "caliphate" that would rule over all Muslims.

A CIA spokesman said on Thursday that a revised intelligence assessment estimates IS can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria - up from a previous figure of 10,000.

The upper estimate is larger than the 20,000 figure being used by many outside experts.

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