WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday concluded a deal with key Arab nations to launch a coordinated military campaign against the militants of the Islamic State, formerly known as Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham (ISIS).

In a statement issued in Washington, the US State Department said that members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon had signed this deal with the United States.

The deal came hours after US President Barack Obama told his nation that he was building an international coalition to combat the IS.

The participating countries agreed to, “as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a coordinated military campaign” against the militants, the State Department said.

The signatories pledged to do their share in the comprehensive fight against the militants, the statement said.

The measures include: stopping the flow of foreign fighters through neighbouring countries, countering financing of IS and other violent extremists and repudiating their hateful ideology.

The states also agreed to end impunity and bring perpetrators to justice. They will also contribute to humanitarian relief efforts, assist with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of brutalised communities and support states that face the most acute IS threat.

The participants hailed the formation of the new, inclusive Iraqi government and expressed their support for the immediate steps it has pledged to take to advance the interests of all Iraq’s citizens, regardless of religion, sect or ethnicity.

The participants resolved to strengthen their support for the new Iraqi government in its efforts to unite all Iraqis in combating the militants and discussed a strategy to destroy the organisation wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2014