PARIS
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has defended his country's intervention in Iraq against ISIL militants, saying the group represents an "international threat".
Speaking in the French Parliament on Wednesday, Valls said France had to take responsibility and intervene as it was a member of NATO, and the national security of France was threatened.
"Helping Iraq is protecting France ... the security of France, Europe and the world is at stake because of the terrorist group DAECH," said Valls, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.
Valls said that the intervention would be a "long-term" one, saying that France "will carry out further air strikes in the coming days until the Iraqi army regains superiority".
He also ruled out the participation of the Syrian regime in the anti-ISIL coalition led by the U.S.
“Bashar Al-Assad cannot be a partner in fighting ISIL,” he said.
'Violent message'
Seeking to send a reassuring message to France's Muslims, Valls said the ISIL group did not represent Islam, adding: "France makes a clear distinction between Islam - the second religion of France; an asset to our country - and Islamism as a terrorist act."
"Jihadism is just a violent message that contradicts the universal values of Islam."
Regarding a threat by Algerian kidnappers to kill 55-year-old French hostage Herve Gourdel, Valls reiterated that Paris would not negotiate with the hostage-takers.
The Jund al-Khilafah, a group in Algeria, claimed on Monday that it was affiliated with ISIL and threatened to execute Gourdel within 24 hours if French President Francois Hollande failed to stop military operations in Iraq against ISIL.
ISIL has captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, declaring a cross-border Islamic "caliphate".
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