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Biden: US is prepared to seek military solution to 'take out' Isis

Speaking in Turkey, the US Vice President said "taking out Daesh" is an option if peace talks fail to deliver solution 

Peter Apps
Saturday 23 January 2016 20:08 EST
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Joe Biden said a political deal would be preferable
Joe Biden said a political deal would be preferable (Getty)

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The US is prepared to work together with Turkey on a military solution to “take out” Isis if political agreement proves impossible.

Vice president Joe Biden said a political deal would be better, but if that’s not possible the US would pursue other alternatives.

The US has been bombing Isis since June 2014 but has so far not committed ground forces for direct involvement in the conflict.

Mr Biden was speaking after meeting Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul.

"We do know it would better if we can reach a political solution but we are prepared ..., if that's not possible, to have a military solution to this operation in taking out Daesh," Biden said at a news conference after the meeting.

Dozens of US special forces already help rebels fighting Isis in Syria, although the troops are not intended for front line combat.

The latest round of Syria peace talks are planned to begin on Monday in Geneva, but were at risk of being delayed over disputes about who would form the opposition, Reuters reported.

A U.S. official later told Reuters that Biden was talking about a military solution to Islamic State, not Syria as a whole.

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