Despite the formal show of support, Mr Obama’s call for Middle Eastern countries to join wholeheartedly in the battle to defeat Isil still faces multiple headwinds, including the threat of a militant reaction against Saudi Arabia.
Officials in Turkey, which was also represented and could play a vital role in stopping fighters, arms and finance crossing the porous border with Syria, said they would not allow offensive operations to be launched from their territory, including the major US base in southern Turkey at Incirlik.
Mr Kerry is due to arrive in Ankara, the Turkish capital,
cheap jordan shoes, on Friday as part of a diplomatic effort to strengthen the resolve of the country, 46 citizens of which are being held hostage by the militants.
At the same time, Russia and Iran, who had silently aligned with the US in demanding that Iraq’s divisive former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, stand aside, both criticised Mr Obama’s decision to expand the US air campaign to include targets in Syria.
A Russian foreign ministry spokesman said any strikes on Syrian territory without UN authorisation would be an “act of aggression, a gross violation of international law”.
Mr Kerry shrugged off the Russian complaint as laughable, adding he was surprised that Russia would “dare to assert any notion of international law” after recent events in Crimea and Ukraine.
Mr Obama laid out a four-point strategy to “degrade and ultimately destroy” Isil in which an expanded US air campaign,
jordan shoes, aided by nearly 1,000 US military advisers on the ground, would enable local Iraqi and Syrian rebel forces to “go on the offence” against the militants.
“American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region,” the president said in a prime-time televised address from the White House.
Officials said that Saudi Arabia will host training camps for up to 10,000 “moderate” Syrian rebel fighters who Obama administration officials ultimately hope will hold any territory reclaimed with the aid of US air power.
Last night a spokesman for the CIA said the latest intelligence assessment suggested that Isil could muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, up from a previous estimate of 10,000.
The new assessment is based on a review of intelligence reports from May to August. It is larger than the 20,
cheap retro jordans,000 figure being used by many outside experts.
The Saudi decision to ally openly with the US in the fight against Sunni militants has revived fears over the terrorist threat to the kingdom, the spiritual heart of the Muslim world. Analysts also warned that many questions remained over the practicality of Mr Obama’s plan to bolster the rebel fighters — an idea about which he was openly sceptical only two months ago, dismissing it as a “fantasy”.
Frederic Hof,
cheap jordans free shipping, a former special adviser to the Obama administration on Syria and now senior fellow at the Rafik Hariri Centre for the Middle East, said it remained unclear if Mr Obama was serious about entering the Syrian conflict, rather than engaging in isolated strikes on Isil there.
“For a White House accustomed to micromanagement and the managing of messages, this is unfamiliar terrain,” he warned. “The coalition will need constant tending: it contains oarsmen not accustomed to pulling in the same direction.”
Theodore Karasik,
Kicksokok.com, research director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai, warned that Saudi leaders would react badly to any signs of hesitation. “If there is any hint of retreat by the Obama administration, the Saudis will be furious and may take matters in to their own hands.”
Saudi Arabia’s request for American troops to defend the kingdom against Saddam Hussein after the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 was the original cause cited by Osama bin Laden for his war on his homeland and on the West.
Mr Pessina said Mr Mil...;#x2019;s plan for power is “not helpful for business, not helpful for the country and in the end it probably won’t be helpful for them”.
He warned that Labour’s attitude towards business could be damaging for the economy.
“The problem is, would they act that way or not? One thing is to threaten and to shout, but it is completely different to be in charge and to manage the country day to day,” he said.
Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary,
cheap wholesale jordans, said it was important to hear the "voice of business".
"But the British people and British businesses will draw their own conclusions when those who don’t live here, don’t pay tax in this country and lead firms that reportedly avoid making a fair contribution in what they pay purport to know what is in Britain’s best interests,” he said.
On social media, MPs slammed Mr Pessina. Ilford South's Mike Gapes led the online campaign.
Does Boots boss own a big mansion in UK ,http://www.qdtongyun.com/qingdao/E_GuestBook.aspcheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg? Does he pay income tax in UK ? Does he vote in UK ? Does he pay tax and vote in Monaco ?
— Mike Gapes MP (@MikeGapes)
February 1, 2015
Lilian Greenwood, the shadow transport secertary, attacked the Boots boss.
Multi-millionaires don't like paying their fair share of tax, who'd have thought it?
#ForTheMany not just a few at the top
#VoteLabour
—,http://www.midwestartfairs.com/node/add/articlecheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg; Lilian Greenwood (@LilianGreenwood)
February 1, 2015
Tom Blenkinsop, the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, also joined the chorus.
Back in 2013,
cheap air jordans..."Boots owner Alliance 'uses havens to save ?1,http://www.elllo.org/graphics/cheapjordanshoesfreeshipping.com/bolg.1bn in corporation tax"-The Independent
http://t.co/hH0loEQ7dZ
— Tom Blenkinsop (@TomBlenkinsop)
February 1, 2015
Kevin McKeever, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Northampton South, raised questions about the company paying ?64million tax on ?22.4billion in sales.
No wonder Monaco-based boss of
@BootsUK is worried about an
@Ed_Miliband victory. Company paid just ?64m tax on ?22.4 billion sales!
— Kevin McKeever (@kevinmckeever)
February 1, 2015
Tom Watson criticised the "Monaco based billionaire boss".
Why would the Monaco based billionaire boss of Boots who took a 160 year old UK institution to Switzerland warn against a Labour government?
—,
cheap jordans online; tom_watson (@tom_watson)
February 1, 2015
Barry Sheerman also jumped in.
I'm not sure whether
@stefanopessina lives in the UK votes in the UK or pays tax in the UK or even owns a substantial property in the UK?
— Barry Sheerman MP (@BarrySheerman)
February 1, 2015
But that backfired... Because he then had to apologise for attacking the wrong Stefano Pessina.
Sorry to
@stefanopessina who it appears is a photographer not the Stefano Pessina boss of
@WalgreensHealth or
@BootsUK
— Barry Sheerman MP (@BarrySheerman)
February 1, 2015
