Diplomats worldwide target Islamic State militants

BRUSSELS (AP) -- A global fight against Islamic State militants will likely take years to fully succeed, but nations are prepared to engage "for as long as it takes" to defeat the bloody insurgency, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.<br /> <br /> Nearly a year after the Islamic State overran key cities in western Iraq, diplomats from more than 60 counties and international organizations gathered in Brussels to plot a way forward against what has since become one of the world's worst terror threats.<br /> <br /> The mostly Sunni Muslim insurgency now stretches across much of northern Iraq and Syria, and has attracted thousands of foreign fighters from around the world, including Europe. Its elusive leadership is flush with financial support from illicit donations and black-market oil sales.<br /> <br /> "We recognize the hard work that remains to be done," Kerry told the gathering at NATO headquarters, which hosted what was, to date, the largest meeting of foreign ministers to discuss the Islamic State. "Our commitment will be measured most likely in years, but our efforts are already having a significant impact."<br /> <br /> "We will engage in this campaign for as long as it takes to prevail," the top U.S. diplomat said.