AFP, 7 Sep 2014 – Arab states agreed Sunday to take the “necessary measures” and were prepared to cooperate internationally to confront Islamic State militants, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said.
At the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo, Arabi had called for a political and military confrontation with the jihadists and other militants he said threatened the existence of Arab states.
 “The Arab foreign ministers have agreed to take the necessary measures to confront terrorist groups including” IS, Arabi said at a news conference.
“International cooperation is included; international cooperation on all fronts,” he said.
The ministers agreed to “take all measures to counter terrorism: political, security and ideological,” he added, without spelling out what these measures would be.
His remarks came as the United States expanded air strikes against the militants and sought wider regional backing for its campaign.
Arabi had earlier urged the foreign ministers to take “a clear decision for a comprehensive confrontation, militarily and politically”.
Iraq had welcomed US President Barack Obama’s plan for an international coalition against jihadists as a “strong message of support”, after repeatedly calling for aid against the militants.
Obama outlined the plan at a NATO summit Friday for a broad coalition to defeat IS, which led an offensive that overran parts of Iraq in June and also holds significant territory in neighbouring Syria.