Australian ex-PM Abbott: West must send ground troops against ISIS

Tony Abbott has called on countries to increase their military commitments to fighting Islamic State, arguing the conflict could go for decades but the alternative was “a blood-soaked caliphate killing in the name of God." The former Australian prime minister, who deployed the RAAF task force to Iraqi and later Syria to fight the Islamic terrorists, said ISIS thrived on conflict and represented the biggest current threat to the world’s peace and stability. Delivering the Fullerton Lecture in Singapore on Wednesday evening, Abbott emphasized the importance of a military victory in Iraq and Syria and called on western countries to consider committing troops to fight alongside local forces.

“Islamic State has a simple but deadly message, submit or die – to most, a mediaeval fantasy, but rational enough to many Muslims based on their scriptures,” Abbott said. He earlier called for a reformation within Islam. Australian Muslims slammed Tony Abbott’s comments as “Trump-like,” a “hate speech” and “ill-informed.” The Grand Mufti said Islam does not need reformation.