Iraq conference under way in France as leaders confront Islamic State threat

PARIS, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Co-chaired by French President Francois Hollande and Iraqi President Fouad Massoum, the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq convened in Paris on Monday, bringing together leaders from more than 30 countries.

Conference attendees include Iraqi President Fouad Massoum, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

At the opening session, French President Francois Hollande declared "Iraq's combat against terrorism is also ours," cautioning that there was "no time to lose" in countering the threat posed by the Islamic State.

France agreed last week to join the U.S.-led coalition against IS militants in Iraq by participating "in military air action." French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Europe 1 that France would soon begin reconnaissance flights over Iraq but that there was "no question of sending ground troops."

Iraqi President Massoum has appealed for international assistance in the battle against IS. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the international gathering, he emphasized "it is crucial that a coordinated response against this ideology and group is conducted immediately."

More than 40 countries have joined the U.S.-led coalition to target IS militants in Iraq and Syria, including members of the 22-nation Arab League.