Invite Iran To Anti-ISIS Talks: Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that Iran should have been included in Paris talks on how to tackle Islamic State group militants. Bishop argued that Iran deserved to be a part of the talks as it had been fighting against the terrorist forces for a long time.

The international conference in Paris is taking place Tuesday. The militants -- also known as ISIS or ISIL -- secured a major victory against Iraq and U.S.-led coalition forces in Ramadi, Iraq, in early May.

Bishop said that the coalition must be aware of Iran’s plan against ISIS forces. "We must have one of their military commanders and political leaders at the table informing us of what Iran is doing there," Bishop told the Australian. "The Iranians are doing much of the fighting but we are not hearing from them as to what their objectives are."

The Australian official added that Western nations like Britain and the United States should set aside their distrust about Iran and allow it to have a voice in the international effort against the extremist forces. Iran has been giving military advice to Iraq in its battle against ISIS forces.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in the meantime, accused the international community of inaction against ISIS terrorists. Iran's Press TV reported that Abadi called ISIS’ unvanquished rise an international failure. The Iraqi prime minister said in Paris that his country would require international support in its battle against the extremist forces. He complained that the support from the international community was lacking, even though many had spoken about providing support.

The Paris summit brought together 24 countries and international agencies. France 24 reported that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was not able to attend the summit due to a bicycling accident over the weekend. He rushed back to the United States from France after suffering a broken femur.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius earlier said that the main purpose of the summit would be ISIS’ activities in Iraq. However, he indicated that the Syrian crisis might also be discussed during the talks.