US-Led Coalition Aims to Target ISIL Financing, Foreign Fighters

A steering group of the 65-nation US-led coalition against ISIL met in Brussels and approved targeting the terror group’s financing, message and foreign fighters joining it, the US Department of State said in a media note on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The steering group, also known as the Small Group, acknowledged the scale of the challenges facing the Coalition, and pledged to continue fighting the Islamic State with a multifaceted, long-term strategy.

“We have… identified priorities for coordinated actions with the military campaign and the Coalition Working Groups — foreign terrorist fighters, counter-finance, stabilization support, and counter-messaging — in the months ahead,” the note stated.

The steering group, also known as the Small Group, acknowledged the scale of the challenges facing the Coalition, and pledged to continue fighting the Islamic State with a multifaceted, long-term strategy.

“[The Islamic State] is an uncompromising threat to the international community. Our Coalition is driven by our common desire to stop this scourge and we will bring to bear every tool available to that end,” the Small Group noted.

The Small Group pointed out the wide array of ground units from the Iraqi Security Forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga to the Popular Mobilization Forces, Sunni tribal forces and Syrian moderate opposition forces were all critical to defeating the Islamic State.

“We will continue our long-standing support for the Iraqi Security Forces as they reclaim areas held by ISIL. We will also support moderate Syrian forces,” the Small Group said.

The next meeting of the Small Group would be held in Rome in early 2016.