UK Hostage Cantlie Doubts Effectiveness of US Efforts Against ISIL

Local Editor

The so-called "Daesh" [ISIL] militant group has released a new internet video, where John Cantlie, a British reporter and photojournalist held captive by the group, doubts the effectiveness of US efforts, aimed at eradicating the extremists, according to the Daily Mail on Monday.

Cantlie said as quoted by the Daily Mail that the arming of Syrian militants with Western weapons is "largely useless," because many are sold on the black market and end up in the hands of Daesh militants.

"Air power is good at taking out specific targets, but it is not much use at taking and holding ground," he added.

"For that you need effective and disciplined troops and it is hard to see how this hotch-potch army with a long history of underperforming is going to be any form of credible infantry," the British journalist also said.

This is the third time that the IS releases a video, featuring John Cantlie, who was seized in Syria in 2012.

On September 10, US President Barack Obama unveiled his strategy for defeating Daesh, which stipulated forming an international coalition, providing equipment and training to the so-called "moderate" opposition in Syria, and conducting airstrikes against Daesh positions in Syria, while simultaneously continuing airstrikes in Iraq.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team