Fiji becomes the latest country to join US-led coalition against Daesh

Sputnik
Wed, 12 Sep 2018 00:00 UTC

Fiji has become the latest country to join the US-led coalition against the Daesh* terrorist group (banned in Russia), Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Sean Ryan said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The Coalition is pleased to announce that Fiji has joined the Coalition to defeat [DAESH] as its 79th member," Ryan said via Twitter.

He highlighted that Fiji has 40 years experience in international peacekeeping efforts, including in the Middle East. The nation is also seen as a leader in the Pacific region, he added.

The US-led coalition conducting military operations against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the United Nations Security Council.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries.

Comment: One might wonder at the nature of the persuasion (coercion) that motivated the country's decision at this point in time...