The conduct of the ISIS terror regime presents us with a level of horror beyond everything we had previously seen in the region. In their self‑proclaimed caliphate, the ISIS terrorists are driving out and destroying anything and anyone who does not conform with their world view. Currently, those who are falling victim to and are particularly threatened by their monstrous brutality are above all Yazidi, Christians and other religious minorities who have lived in and around Mosul for centuries.

In light of the humanitarian catastrophe we support the United States’ targeted intervention. The US measures are also important in order to halt the further advance of ISIS across northern Iraq.

Hundreds of thousands of stranded people fleeing the ISIS fighters have found refuge in Kurdistan‑Iraq. We must help these people.

I am in contact with the President of the Kurdistan‑Iraq region, Masoud Barzani, amongst others, in order to ascertain how we can offer support in this extremely critical situation. We have just made a further 1.5 million euros available for emergency assistance.

It is clear that the key to long‑term stability in Iraq can only lie in understanding between the political forces and in a competent government in which all groups within the population are represented.

For ISIS to be halted and pushed back, there also needs to be understanding between the regional actors. It is in their interest too, to put paid to the terror of ISIS and debunk the group’s supposed religious legitimacy, exposing it as the web of lies that it is.