Cambodia supports U.S. strategy against ISIS

 

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Thursday that the country supported the U.S. President Barack Obama's strategy to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

"For our stance on ISIS, previously, we have subsequently condemned the killings of American and British journalists, and we will continue condemning such brutal crimes," he said during a national conference. "Cambodia has no possibility to send forces to directly fight with ISIS group in Iraq, but, mentally and politically, we support all activities that destroy terrorism groups -- not only ISIS, but also al-Qaida and other groups."

The prime minister said Cambodia would do all its best to prevent terrorists from taking Cambodian territory as their shelter or terrorism financing place, and would share information that could be useful in the campaign to fight against terrorism.

"We do not tolerate any terrorism act," he said. "In fact, Cambodia is not the target of terrorism attack, but we should not forget that more than 4 million foreign tourists have come to Cambodia each year and many foreign companies are doing businesses in Cambodia."

ISIS has recently claimed to have established an "Islamic Caliphate" in parts of Syria and Iraq.

The group, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, said their goal is to establish an Islamic state in Iraq and Syria to fight the Shiite- led Iraqi central government and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose top ranks are from the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.