Isis Action: French Rafale Fighter Jets Fly over Iraq as Anti-Islamic State Paris Summit Begins

IBT/Yahoo ^ | 2 hours 11 minutes ago | Umberto Bacchi

[GonzoII]

France fighter jets have flown over Iraq in a reconnaissance mission against Isis jihadists, as in Paris President Francois Hollande hosted an International summit to agree a common strategy to fight the Islamist militants.

Two Rafale jets and a refuelling aircraft took off from an airbase in the United Arab Emirates to gather intelligence in support of US air strikes targeting the group now known as Islamic State (IS).

"We told the Iraqis we were available and asked them for authorisation [to fly over Iraq]," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France Inter radio.

"The cost of inaction would be to say to these butchers 'go ahead, you have a free pass'. We won't accept that."

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian personally oversaw the operation launch from the Al-Dhafra airbase 30km (20 miles) southwest of Abu Dhabi.

"France stands ready at a time that is decisive for its security -- because it is also France's security that is threatened by this... pseudo-Islamic State," Le Drian said, addressing French troops there.

According to Le Figaro newspaper, six Rafale fighter jets, a Boeing C-135 operating as refuelling plane and a French Navy Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft are to take part in the operation aiming to take high definition photos of IS positions in Iraq.

[GonzoII]

"The cost of inaction would be to say to these butchers 'go ahead, you have a free pass'. We won't accept that."

Sounds good to me.

[ken5050]

This is the scenario that worries me...

Given the large number of advanced US weapons that ISIS captured from the Iraqi army, with prolonged airstrikes, there's a good chance they'll get lucky and shoot down a plane..and with minimal forces in the area, it's difficult to mount a rescue mission..so if they capture the pilot...well..guess what happens next...