NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen declared on Monday that the Western alliance must stand together against the threats from an aggressive Russia and the Islamic State (IS, formally ISIS) terror militia. “Appeasement does not lead to peace,” he said. “It just incites tyrants.” His words came as the US military expanded its campaign of airstrikes against IS in Iraq, hitting targets southwest of Baghdad in what a Central Command spokesman said represented a new phase of offensive operations. Congress is also set to begin discussions on Tuesday to empower US President Barak Obama to arm and train anti-IS rebel factions in Syria, even as Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that the US is now open to the possibility of coordinating the fight against IS with Iran. Read More
