Europe ‘ fully committed’ to tackling ISIS threat

Brussels, Nov. 17: The European Union said on Monday it remains “fully committed” to tackling the threat posed by the ISIS extremist group after it beheaded US aid worker Peter Kassig.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and humanitarian aid commissioner Christos Stylianides said in a statement that the killing of Kassig and 18 men described as Syrian military personnel showed ISIS’ “resolve to pursue its terror agenda in breach of all universally recognised values and rights.”

“All perpetrators of human rights abuses must be held accountable. The EU will spare no effort towards this objective,” they said. “We remain fully committed to tackling the threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist organisations in Syria and Iraq, alongside our regional and international partners.”

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has grieved the gruesome murder of Kassig and termed his beheading as an act of pure evil. “ISIL’s actions represent no faith, least of all the Muslim faith which AbdulRahman adopted as his own,” Mr Obama said. “Today we grieve together, yet we also recall that the indomitable spirit of goodness and perseverance that burned so brightly in Abdul- Rahman Kassig, and which binds humanity together, ultimately is the light that will prevail over the darkness of ISIL,” he said.

Separately, the ISIS group has killed 1,432 Syrians off the battlefield since the end of June, a monitoring group said. The killings included deaths by beheading and stoning as well as times when the group has slit victims’ throats or shot them in non- combat situations.