The threat of ISIS
Members of NSW State parliament and local government have heard former US Ambassador to Iraq, James Jeffrey, discuss the threat of ISIS and what the US and its allies, including those in the region, can do to halt its progress.
Luke Foley, James Jeffrey, Mike Daley, Sophie Cotsis and Adam Searle
The lunch briefing was co-hosted by NSW Parliamentary friends of Israel, Chaired by Minister Gabrielle Upton, and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
Ambassador Jeffrey said ISIS shares a similar ideology to other transcendental Islamist groups who believe in the fantasy of establishing a caliphate across the Middle East, but this one has particularly brutal methods and inspires adherents around the world to join the fight. He said the ultimate goal of ISIS is to draw Iran into an all-out, regional Sunni/Shia war. He urged US allies to support efforts to push this organisation back because if allowed to conquer more territory, ISIS will continue on a path of mass murder, destabilisation and motivation of foreign jihadis.
There was particularly strong attendance among senior Labor Party members, including:
Michael Daley MP – Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services
The Hon. Luke Foley MLC – Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, and Shadow Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
The Hon. Adam Searle MLC – Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Shadow Minister for Small Business
The Hon. Sophie Cotsis MLC – Shadow Minister for Local Government, Shadow Minister for Housing, Shadow Minister for the Status of Women
The Hon. Amanda Fazio MLC – Opposition Whip in the Legislative Council
