Australia Announces End of Its Participation in US-Led Coalition’s Operation in Syria, Iraq

SYDNEY- Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne on Friday declared an end to her country’s airstrike operations in Syria and Iraq, although she admitted the challenge was not over yet, local media reported, according to Sputnik.

Payne said the decision was taken after consultations with Iraq and the international coalition purportedly fighting the terror group Daesh, according to The Australian, a newspaper.

“The Australian government has determined that we will bring home our six Super Hornet strike aircraft from the Middle East, marking the end of Australia’s air strike operations in Iraq and Syria,” she told reporters.

 According to the Syrian news agency (SANA), the announcement is an implicit acknowledgment that the US-led coalition has lost justification for its establishment and for its illegal presence in Syria particularly after Daesh was defeated by the Syrian and Iraqi armies.

Since 2014, the United States has been leading an illegal coalition without a Security Council mandate allegedly to fight Daesh in Syria and Iraq. However, this coalition has targeted Syrian civilians and infrastructure and assisted Daesh terrorists to move to safe areas as to avoid the strikes of the Syrian Arab army against them.

Hamda Mustafa