ISIS threatens EU, defense minister says

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    (ANSA) - Milan, September 9 - The Islamic State fighting to redraw the map of the Middle East represents a "new terrorist threat" not just for Iraq and Syria but also for Europe, Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said Tuesday.
    The threat posed by ISIS "clearly extends towards Europe", said Pinotti, opening an informal meeting of European defense ministers in Milan.
    Pinotti stressed the need to "use all means available to contain and overcome this threat" and said more cooperation with countries like Turkey was "essential" to achieve this goal.
    The United States are working to build an international coalition to fight ISIS and "there have been encouraging messages from the Arab League" while a number of countries, "including Italy, are already taking action, though more needs to be done", said Pinotti.
    The minister in particular called for joint political, humanitarian and military action to fight funding sources and the surge in foreign fighters joining the Islamic State.
    Pinotti also said Italy is helping, along with other countries, both the Kurdish militiamen of Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzhani and Baghdad's troops by providing "weapons, munitions, communication and intelligence" and that such efforts will be intensified.