ABOARD GAULLE: A French aircraft carrier launched operations in the Gulf against the Islamic State group on Monday as the new Pentagon chief summoned top generals and diplomats to Kuwait to review war efforts.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter vowed the jihadists would suffer a “lasting defeat” as he convened the extraordinary meeting of more than two dozen senior military officers, ambassadors and intelligence officials at the sprawling US Army base of Camp Arifjan.

Washington forged a coalition of Western and Arab nations to confront IS after the extremist group seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared an Islamic “caliphate” last year.

The coalition has since carried out more than 2,000 air strikes against the jihadists and France boosted its participation on Monday with the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier launching raids from the Gulf.

“This threat, jihadist terrorism, wants to reach our citizens, our interests, our values. France’s response will be total firmness,” Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said as he launched operations seven weeks after extremist attacks killed 17 people in Paris.

Four Rafale fighter jets took off in the morning from the carrier as it sailed about 200 kilometres off the coast north of Bahrain in the direction of Iraq.

Carrying 12 Rafale and nine Super Etendard fighters, the carrier will spend eight weeks in the Gulf working alongside the USS Carl Vinson, significantly increasing French air capabilities in the region.

Published in Dawn February 24th , 2015

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