US determines IS is committing genocide

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The Obama administration on Thursday formally concluded the Islamic State group is committing genocide against Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria, a declaration long sought by Congress and human-rights organizations but likely to change little in the conflict against the extremists.

The determination, for which Congress had set a Thursday deadline, does not obligate the United States to take additional action against IS militants and does not prejudge any potential prosecution against its members.

A day after the State Department said the administration would miss the deadline because it needed more evidence, Kerry said Thursday that he had completed his review after all and determined that Christians, Yazidis and Shiite groups are victims of genocide and crimes against humanity by the Islamic State.

The House earlier this week unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution condemning IS atrocities as genocide.