Kerry to arrive in Gulf for talks on tackling Islamic State

BAGHDAD: Secretary of State John Kerry is set to arrive in the Gulf on Wednesday to help build a broad coalition against militants in Iraq and Syria that has already won support from Arab nations.

Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia is to host talks on Thursday between Kerry and ministers from 10 Arab states and Turkey on joint action against the Islamic State (IS) group.

The talks coincide with a much-touted address from President Barack Obama at the White House, where he will outline a strategy to confront IS and address criticism that he has been slow to respond to a wave of atrocities that has shocked the world.

Britain also announced on Tuesday that it will ship $2.6 million (two million euros) worth of weapons to Kurdish forces in Iraq, to help roll back the militants´ lightening advances.

Kerry´s expected arrival in the region on Wednesday comes as Washington hailed the formation of the new government in Baghdad, which has been billed as more inclusive.

Iraq´s campaign to claw back territory it lost in the Arab heartland north and west of Baghdad in June, and US efforts to engage governments in the fightback, have been complicated by regional sectarian politics.

Saudi Arabia and the five other Gulf Arab states have had deeply strained relations with the government in Baghdad, with each side blaming the other for the militants’ gains.

But their foreign ministers will be among those attending Thursday´s talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, along with top diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq itself.

They will address "terrorism in the region, extremist organisations behind it and means of fighting them," Saudi state media said.

The Arab League, which has stopped short of explicitly backing ongoing US air strikes against IS, also drummed up regional support for the fight.