France to keep military in Iraq as needed

France will maintain its military commitment in Iraq until the Islamic State (IS) was completely defeated and as long as necessary, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
France, the second leading force in the US-led coalition against IS, was determined to remain engaged in the war against the terrorist group until its “total defeat.”
“We will continue until the end and as long that the Iraqi officials will consider it essential,” he added at a joint press conference with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi in Paris.
France was the first European country to join US-led coalition in Sept 2014 to strike Islamist militants at the request of Iraqi authorities.