Berlusconi Supports Ground Operation Against IS: Reports

The former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says the Islamic State should be countered by force and not by fear.

MOSCOW, January 12 (Sputnik) — Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi supports conducting ground operations against the Islamic State (IS) militant group, Il Messagero reported Monday.

“The West has made a lot of mistakes during the past years. We have been involved in the wars, in which we shouldn’t have been involved, and we did not fight where we were supposed to fight, like in the case with Islamic State and its project on caliphate establishment,” Berlusconi told Il Messagero.

Responding to a question about whether a ground military operation was necessary to defeat the jihadists, Berlusconi said, “Yes. The West should give a clear signal. Fear, with which we defeated our values and our safety during the past years, has shown extremists that our world is weak and can be conquered.”

The IS is a radical Sunni group, which has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern parts of Iraq. Known for their brutal tactics, IS jihadists have seized vast areas in Iraq and neighboring Syria, declaring an Islamic caliphate in the territories under the group's control.

Some EU countries are currently involved in the US-led anti-IS coalition and have taken part in airstrikes against IS positions in Syria and Iraq.