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France's Juppe pledges "merciless war" against IS if elected

Xinhua, November 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

French hopeful president Alain Juppe pledged to "a merciless war" to uproot Islamic State (IS) insurgents in Iraq and Syria, adding the option to send French ground troops on the region is not on his agenda.

Speaking about France's participation in U.S.-led military operation in Iraq and Syria in a televised debate, the conservative politician said "the fight against the Islamic State for me is an absolute priority."

"I will be committed with our allies to eradicate those who threaten us," he told state-run France2 TV.

If elected, Juppe said to consolidate the coalition's offensive but refused to send French ground troops, arguing "it is up to the countries of the region to do this work."

Asked about the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in an eventual peace deal, the moderate conservative saw "no return to peace in Syria while al-Assad is in power."

The country's pollsters showed Juppe, 71, winning the first round of centre-right primary by between 36 and 39 percent, outpacing his challenger ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy.

The former prime minister was set to win the run-off on Nov. 27. Endit